For You I open my Eyes
by skeleton-leaf
Summary: His fall from grace had been spectacular and Rory Gilmore had been there through it all. Neither of them, in the beginning, could say why. Hell, even as the car roared down the highway leaning back in the seat, her feet on the dashboard and the sun fallin
1. Chapter 1

**AN: _Hello again, welcome to my new story "(For You) I open my eyes". It's classic TRORY, or at least, I think it's going to be. I got the idea the other day when I overheard somebody saying "I loved that girl". _**

**Disclaimer: I think we can all learn to live with the fact that I own nothing.**

Rory and her twin brother, Jay, stood before Chilton Preparatory.

"Doesn't it look a little…"

"…Off with their heads?" Their mother, Lorelai, supplied helpfully and Rory smile ruefully.

"I was going to say British"

"Well this is New England" Jay shrugged and Rory rolled her eyes. The place was definitely imposing, particularly against the unusually overcast fall day. It looked like a dark castle with the turrets above the main building.

"That was my dormitory!" Lorelai told them with glee. Rory tried to smile. Chilton Prep was the most exclusive co-ed boarding school on the East Coast. It was where her parents had met before they had moved to the mid-west together where Rory and Jay had been brought up. But now, returning for Christopher's business, the twins were to be educated in the Gilmore-Hayden way and that meant boarding school during the week and home for the weekends to their new home in Hartford.

Their father was bringing the luggage after they'd met with the headmaster which only took a few terrifying minutes, during which the twins were urged to keep their heads down and work hard, along with some heavily veiled threats that made Rory shudder. Christopher met them in the foyer; it was still early on the Monday morning. Classes weren't starting for another hour. It was the first day back at school but the grounds were still deserted save for one student striding purposefully towards reception.

"I'm Paris Gellar, Student Body President. I'll be your guide for your first few days and I'll show you to your dorm rooms now" Rory was startled by the girls brusque manner and half-turned to her mother who was stifling a giggle.

"We'll leave you two then"

"The porters will take their luggage" Paris told Lorelai who mock-saluted while the girl narrowed her eyes and Jay laughed. Lorelai grasped both their children in a bear hug while the pair struggled free.

"Be good for mommy!" She was calling as Christopher dragged her back to the town car.

Rory's roommate was a fair-haired girl with a head full of bubbles named Louise Grant. Paris was in the room next-door with a girl called Madeline. Louise babbled excitedly as packed her school bag. Rory watched as the girl packed a hairbrush, tampons, a make-up purse, a make-up kit, a compact, one notebook and a collection of fluffy pens, then, on second thought, threw in an i-pod and a pair of sunglasses.

"Aren't you taking any books?" Rory asked. Louise just laughed before holding up the notebook with a _duh _expression apparent on her face.

"We're in some of the same classes, theatre and literature…the bludge subjects."

"Bludge?" Rory asked again as she loaded her book-bag to breaking point.

"Yeah, you don't have to do anything to pass, just show up" Rory laughed quietly and followed the girl out to class; she and Jay had missed breakfast.

She was living in the DuGrey building. Each dormitory building – there were four – was named after the prominent Chilton family that built it. Jay had been ushered away to Debelar building earlier. Louise walked with a wiggle and her book-bag slapped against her left thigh as she walked. Rory shivered in the fresh of the early morning. They came to the main school building and Louise showed Rory where their lockers were. She was packing her books away when someone leant against the locker next to hers.

"Hey" Rory turned and saw a blond guy with his back against the bay of lockers.

"Hello?"

"I'm Tristan" He smirked at her and she fought the desire to cock her eyebrow.

"Rory"

"Nice to meet you Mary"

"No, it's Rory"

"I think Mary suits you better"

"And why would that be Tristan?" Louise asked sweetly and he smirked again.

"The divine Miss Grant how was your summer?" She giggled.

"You ought to know," He laughed as the bell rang.

"Well, welcome to Chilton Mary"

"It's Rory!" She called to his retreating back.

"Who was that?" She asked Louise.

"That, was the King of Chilton" Louie said dreamily as they wandered to their first class.

Rory and Jay finally met up at lunch. He waved to her from a table and she weaved her way amongst the kids, her headphones in her ears.

"Hey butthead" She greeted him and he ruffled her hair as she wriggled away.

"Guys, this is my older sis, by a minute and a half. Rory, this is my room-mate Finn, and some of the guys Mike, Jason, Matt and Tristan" Rory grimaced at the last name and took off her headphones.

"Met him" She said, nodding in his direction.

"Hi again Mary" She smiled sweetly and leant across the table to him.

"It's R-O-R-Y, live it, learn it, love it"

"Oh I already love it" She rolled her eyes and Jay laughed nervously, wondering if this was a guy he'd have to keep his eye on. A few seconds later the lunchtime crowds parted for three girls. Rory looked up and rolled her eyes again. They were all beautiful, the types of girls you see on TV shows about High School but rarely see inside a real one. And she knew they'd all be bitches. They sat down at the table. Rory watched the blond one with interest, she was tiny, the only small one in the group, with long dead-straight blond hair. But it was her eyes that were amazing, they were huge, big discs that slanted ever so slightly upwards at the outer corners and were the prettiest jade-green colour. She sat down next to Tristan and he wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead and she smiled. Jay grinned,

"Rory, this is Bronwyn, Summer and Liz" The tiny one was Liz, Tristan's girlfriend, Rory soon realised. Summer looked her up and down and smirked.

"Mary?" She asked politely and the table erupted in laughter.

"Excuse me" Rory said before she got up and left.

_**I know that was short so I'm posting Chapter 2 soon. Remember to R&R!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Diclaimer: Obviously I don't own anything. I live on the tuna pasta line for Christ's sake.

Rory and Jay sat in a coffee shop near the Chilton Campus after the third day.

"The guys seem cool," Jay said and Rory rolled her eyes.

"With the exception of one"

"Oh come on," Jay replied, "Tristan's not that bad. He's just ragging you the way they would any new student"

"Oh yeah?" She asked, her eyebrow cocked. "I notice they don't allude to the fact that you're a virgin," Jay laughed.

"Me? Well, that's for a good reason" He leant back in his chair, his hands behind his head.

"Eew!" Rory shrieked, making a cross with her forefingers. "I don't want to know about your romantic dalliances!" He laughed and threw a fry at her.

"Well well well, if it isn't my favourite roommate and her spunky brother!" Louise announced as she sat down next to Jay.

"Hey Jay"

"Hey Lollie" He replied, equally flirtatiously, using his new pet name for her.

"My brother's a man-whore" Rory sighed dramatically and pulled out her book. P.J. O'Rourke's _Republican Party Reptile, _an oldie but a goody. Jay loved to have I read to him when he was stoned; apparently then it was actually too funny for words. Suddenly it was wrenched out of her grasp as Tristan and Liz sat down at the table.

"Hmm," He began thoughtfully and Roy was mortified at the chapter it was open to, "…_How to drive fast, on drugs, while getting your…wing wang? Squeezed and not spill your drink?_ Now Mary, this isn't the sort of literature I'd expect to find you reading. And anyway, I could teach you how I do that" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestibly and she grabbed the book off him, slapping him in the face with it.

"Why?" She asked the heavens.

"Oh leave her alone Tris" Liz muttered. She was quiet, this beautiful, tiny girl, Rory had realised. Not like Tristan at all. Quiet and placid, she seemed like a good girl. Tristan turned to her with a smile, a smile of…love? Rory watched them fascinated. Liz didn't even seem to notice; she'd turned her attention to the hot chocolate in front of her and was blowing gently on it through delicately pouted lips. Tristan was looking down at her; he looked completely lost in her. The poet in Rory rejoiced that all was right in the world at that exact moment. But the door opening and chatter from other Chiltonites soon ruined it as Tristan got up to high-five guys and Summer pulled a chair next to Liz. Rory was strangely disappointed that her voyeurism had come to an end. Louise caught her eye across the table.

"_I know!" _She mouthed, glancing surreptitiously at the couple.

Louise was lying on her back on her bed, her head towards Rory's where the dark-haired girl was working diligently on her homework.

"There's a party on this weekend at Madeline's house, her parents are away" Louise told her before frowning. "…Again" She added quietly before brightening. "Wanna come?" Roy wrinkled her cute nose.

"I dunno…maybe…if Jay goes" Louise giggled.

"Well I was banking on him doing just that" Rory threw a cushion at her roommate.

"You need…de-sex-ifying…or something," Louise just kept giggling and Rory rolled her eyes.

The work was difficult at Chilton, more so than the public high school they'd attended in Milwaukee, but it wasn't impossible. Somehow they'd both inherited their mother's English brain and their father's Maths and Science brain, so they were gifted across the board. Except, in Rory's case, theatre, but you couldn't win them all and anyway, Liz was going to play the lead in the Chilton Senior production of _The Crucible_. Rory just had to scream a lot in the background and pretend that she was pretending to see the devil in the courtroom. Obviously the drama teacher had seen her for the natural star she was. She was surprised about Liz though; she seemed to quiet but when she took to the stage she was an amazing Abigail. Jay, the spotlight lover out of the twins, was playing John Proctor and had been giving Tristan hell all week about having an affair with Liz who would just blush and laugh it off.

Rory lay on her back, Tristan, how many guys had she known like him? What did they say at the beginning of _Veronica Mars _about Logan? "Every school has a resident psychotic jackass, he's ours"? That summed it up well. He went out of his way to make her life hell. She supposed with other people it was playfulness but she didn't appreciate him turning up at her locker in the morning with some astute – note the sarcasm – observation about the day…or her sex life. She didn't appreciate having her books taken, or her ear-phones pulled out, or her hair pulled in class, or her uniform commented on, or her door being knocked on and when she opened all she saw was he and her brother running off giggling like first graders. God! She even babbled in her thoughts. He was such an ass! And Liz, well she might be quiet but Rory knew she was a bitch. She was the worst kind of bitch. At least with someone like Summer who wrote notes about you and "accidentally" posted them on the bulletin board _(Marry Mary quite contrary how does her garden grow? Who the hell'd know? Sweet seventeen never been kissed, I suppose in some culture that's cute!)_ You knew what you were getting. But Liz? No, she'd never do something like that, she just laughed about it with them.

But finally I was the end of the week and Rory and Jay were driving home in his car. They shared at the moment; Rory didn't really like driving so they'd left her Mustang at the new house in Hartford. They got back at about five on the Friday night, just in time for an early dinner with their grandparents.

"I don't feel well" Jay announced when they got there.

"Nice try _little _bro, but you're not getting out of this" He shook his head.

"No Ror, I _really _don't feel well"

"Oh poor baby…you won't be able to go to the party tomorrow night" He hit her lightly upside the head as they made their way into their grandparents' house. Their parents were waiting and Lorelai jumped up to hug her babies to her.

"Oh fruits of my loin! You've returned to the Happy Sun Dance fold!" They laughed nervously and clawed their way free.

Emily and Richard were thrilled the family was back and that the children were at Chilton. Richard bombarded them with questions about the buildings and the classes, Emily dug for dirt on the kids they'd befriended and was very impressed. When they were leaving though, Rory noticed Jay didn't look too good.

"Do you want me to drive?" She asked and was shocked when he nodded. He never let anyone drive his Jeep. She quietly took the keys and drove them home. He went straight to bed…he really mustn't have been feeling good.

**AN: _Please, please R&R. I want to know if I should continue with this. These first few chapters are just little ones, introductory so to speak. So I'll be posting them quickly to get them out of the way._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: It's sad but true that I don't own _GG._**

"Yeah he's off his food, hasn't surfaced all day" Rory said into the phone. Louie was on the other end chattering about the party that night.

"Hmm…pity. You're still coming though?"

"I don't know…" Rory began.

"Oh come on! You have to! You've gotta get to know the crowd! These are the people you're gonna party with at grad, better start catching up"

"Okay"

"Great, come over to my place, we'll go from there".

Lorelai dropped Rory off at Louise's place that evening in a singlet and a pair of jeans with a light jacket. Louise greeted her at the door with:

"What the _hell _are you wearing?"

"What?" Rory asked dumbly. Louise pulled her inside.

"Oh you have so much to learn about Chilton parties!" An hour later an uncertain Rory was clad in a very short pair of black short, high-heeled bronze sandals, which laced up her calves, a barely there white singlet and a bronze crochet shrug.

"You look amazing" Louise assured her. Rory raised an eyebrow but it was too late, they were leaving. Louise only lived down the block from Mads so they walked. It was nine o'clock and there were already a heap of people. Some random greeted them at the door. Louise shrugged,

"If _I_ don't even know them, they're not worth knowing" She assured Rory and they made their way inside. She was pleasantly surprised; it wasn't too debaucherous, at least, not yet. A few couples were making out but definitely not X-ratedly. There was beer and vodka in the kitchen and Louise helped herself to two of the latter mixed with fruit juice. She offered one to Rory who took it uncertainly.

"I don't really drink," She said, inspecting the plastic cup and sniffing it.

"Good," Louise said, linking arms with her. "You can be my cheap date" Rory laughed and took a sip, she couldn't even taste the vodka but she drank it slowly anyway.

"Look!" Roy cringed at the voice but couldn't help turning. "It's _Mary, Mary quite contrary!_" Summer shrieked.

"Although in that get-up…Tristan, your first impression may have been deceiving!" Tristan was two beats behind her.

"Contrary indeed" He echoed, looking Roy up and down in a way that made her want to slap him, but Liz had that under control. She lifted one tiny hand to his chin and pulled him down to her level, which was actually quite funny to watch.

"At least you know she doesn't have to kneel down!" Louise whispered and it took Rory a while to figure out what she meant before her eyes widened and she blushed.

"Eyes on me and me only buddy" Liz was whispered to him loudly, before she smiled sweetly and kissed him chastely on he lips. He grinned against her lips and Rory found herself watching them helplessly again.  
"What's wrong Mary? Want some of the action?" Summer hissed in her ear. "Too bad, you'll never be good enough for us"

"Oh fuck off Summer you're mother was a stripper and a your father's a tax cheat" Came Paris' authoritative voice. Summer actually looked a little frightened as she scuttled off and Rory burst out laughing.

"Was that true?" She asked Paris who shrugged.

"As true as anything you hear on the Hartford grape vine is"

"Which means 100 spot on" Madeline concluded, finally appearing at her own party.

"What do you guys think of Liz?" Rory asked distractedly.

"Love her" Said Louise as she took a shot being handed to her by some guy.

"She's a sweet heart," Madeline added before being swept off. Rory turned to Paris who shrugged again.

"I know you're expecting me o be the one who secretly hates her. But despite the school Princess' detestable taste in…friends, she's a really nice person" Rory nodded, a little surprised, maybe she was wrong.

Louise had disappeared to dance with one of the guys from their year…Derek? Drake? _Duke? _Rory couldn't remember. She watched them grind against each other on the living room carpet, which had become the dance floor. She was sipping a fruit juice she'd made sure to pour for herself in the kitchen. She didn't trust these Chilton kids and their drink mixing was. Paris was harassing one of the girls who had recently joined the Franklin but was yet to write a story and Rory giggled. Madeline and Johnny, one of the guys, appeared at her side.

"Are you drinking tonight Ror?" Mads asked and Rory shook head.

"No…well, just fruit juice" She said, brandishing the cup. Madeline smiled knowingly.

"Sure…fruit juice" Rory just smiled sedately at her.

"Mary" His hot breath tickled her neck and she turned, deliberately stomping on his foot. He yelped.

"Oh I'm sorry _Trissy_ did I hurt your widdle footsy?"

"I'll live" He replied grimly. "That is," He added with a smirk, "If you'll dance with me"

"Oh go dance with your girlfriend"

"That old thing?" He said loudly enough for Liz to hear who pretended to be put out.

"Love ya honey!" He called, blowing a theatrical kiss and she rolled her eyes, as did Rory.

"Come on Mary…dance with me…dance with me" He leant in to her ear and whispered.

"Dance with me?"

"Oh fine but I fully intend to stand on that floor immobile" He brightened and grabbed her hand pulling her into the middle of the other kids, pulling her close.

"Now that wouldn't be dancing would it?" She shrugged.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. She nodded, she was fine. They sort of moved around each other for an entire song, she didn't mind the dancing, just the dancing with him. Eventually he got the hint and moved off with the guys. It was fascinating, the way he led them. He really was the King of Chilton. She danced by herself but was soon joined by a drunken Louise and Madeline. The three girls moved close together in some semblance of a routine before Rory almost lost her footing on the floor and hobbled to the corner.

"Are you okay?" Paris was asking her brusquely when she became aware again of her surroundings. She was still in the corner of the room, sort of propped against the wall. She nodded and leaned her head back.

"Are you drunk?" Paris asked suspiciously and Rory shook her head violently.

"No I only had one vodka" She slurred and Paris cocked her head on the side.

"Gilmore-Hayden! How much have you had to drink?"

"One fucking vodka okay master?" Rory yelled before attempting the dignified stumble/stalk out of the room.

Across the crowded parlour Liz nudged Tristan but he'd already seen it. He followed Rory into the kitchen.

"Mary…you okay?" She glowered at him as he helped herself to another fruit juice.

"I'm fine dickhead" He raised his eyebrows.

"I thought so," He countered, "Cause you look it" He backed away and watched her walk out, following her quietly. She stumbled her way through the crowd and out onto the porch, giggling to herself, he followed her outside, the air was crisp.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked. She shook her head but was rubbing her arms she stood there.

"Mary…Rory…I think someone's bee spiking your drink with alcohol" She looked pensive for a while.

"Maybe…I do feel a little…" She touched her stomach gingerly as though afraid it would bite her hand, "…sick" He rolled his eyes.

"Great…listen I'm going to take you home"

"Hmmm" Rory was staring at the sky as she wandered down the steps, Tristan was just in time to catch her as she fell over her own feet.

"Oopsy daisy" He laughed as he caught her cavalier-style. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he carried her to his car, somehow juggling her and his keys he opened the passenger door and slid her onto the seat.

"Light as a feather" he muttered as he closed the door and went in search of Liz. He found her in he kitchen with Summer and Bronwyn. He touched her wrist and whispered in her ear.

"Hon, can we head? Rory's basically passed out in the car" Liz nodded discretely.

"Go say good bye to the guys and tell her friends what happened, I'll look after her" Liz said quietly back. He nodded, smiled and kissed her forehead. She turned to the girls.

"Tris and I are heading off" She told them with a wink they'd understand, otherwise they'd want to know what was going on. The girls nodded and smiled and Liz made her way outside. She stood at the passenger side looking down at Rory in the car. She felt sorry for the new girl, except, not really, because she knew this Rory Gilmore-Hayden could handle herself with Summer. She sighed, Summer was a bitch but they'd known each other for so long…she was one of those people where when you got to know her you could genuinely say she was a nice person deep down. Liz opened the car door and crouched down near Rory, shaking her gently.

"Honey? Honey? Wake up" Rory opened one eye and surveyed Liz before touching her stomach pathetically.

"I feel sick" She said and Liz laughed softly, helping her out of the car.

"You'd better get out of the MG then, Tris'd kill you" Rory nodded and let Liz lead her to the garden. Liz held her hair back as Rory threw up and patted her gently on the back.

"These kids are dicks" Liz explained "I mean, they're okay but they think it's funny to spike a nice girl's drink" Rory nodded and heaved again.

"Feel better?" She nodded gently and Liz pulled some tissues from her purse, giving them to Rory to wipe her mouth. Tristan came out as they were standing up. He sighed and led Rory back to the car, helping her into the passenger seat while Liz climbed into the back seat.

As they drove away Rory turned to Tristan.

"You know you're not such an asshole" She slurred and he and Liz laughed. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm glad you finally came around Mary" She smiled dreamily and looked back at Liz.

"And you're not a bitch" Liz laugh again.

"Thank you"

"No I'm serious" Rory protested, "I thought you were but you're lovely" She took Liz's hand.

"Thank you for tonight" Liz just smiled.

Rory was passed out cold by the time they got to her house. Tristan had called Jay's cell to get directions after telling Paris what had happened. Louise and Madeline…well they weren't _reliable _by that stage. Jay had panicked and was standing on the porch when Tristan pulled up.

"What the fuck happened man?" He asked in q loud whisper, hoping his parent's wouldn't wake up.

"It's just the party man, you know, stupid guys think it's funny to spike a girl's drink"

"I'm sorry Jay," Liz put in, "We didn't notice until she was already gone. She threw up but passed out on the way home. She should be okay when she wakes up, they're not absolute bastards. It would've only been vodka" Jay nodded.

"Thanks for bringing her home"

"Don't mention it" Tristan grunted as he lifted Rory's dead weight out of the passenger seat. Jay tried to take her but Tristan shook his head.

"She's okay, where's her room?" Jay led the way with Liz following them. Tristan lay Rory down on her King sized bed and started talking low voices with Jay while Liz covered her with a cotton blanket.

"Liz?" Rory murmured.

"Mmm?"

"Thank you, you really are lovely. It's easy to see why Tristan loves you" Liz smiled and smoothed down Rory's head.

"Sleep well, I'll see you at school"

**AN: _Okay, those are the set-up chapters out of the way. The real drama begins in the next chapter. Stay tuned for it really soon and in the meant-time R&R!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: _Thank you so much to everyone who has submitted a review. Don't worry this story will definitely be a TRORY._**

**Diclaimer: Of course, you all know it, I don't own _GG_**

Rory spent the weekend hibernating in her room, hiding from her mother's questions about the party. Truth was, she didn't remember that much. Of course she remembered puking in the garden with Liz holding her hair back. She cringed every time she did. And once he got over being pissed about her drinks getting spike, Jay saw the funny sight ad wouldn't let it drop. In a crank, Rory took her own car back to Chilton on Sunday night. The next day was a public holiday but all students were expected back on campus by five p.m. on Sunday anyway. Monday would be study hall for the last half of the day anyway.

"What the fuck happened to you on Saturday night?" Louise demanded when Rory walked in the door. She grunted in response and flopped face-down on her bed.

"…Because _I _heard," Louise began, "that someone got a little intoxicated and had to be taken home"

"ishwoznmyfowd" Rory mumbled.

"I _beg _your pardon?" Louise asked with flourish, pirouetting to Rory's bed and bouncing on it. Rory groaned and rolled over.

"It's wasn't my fault" She repeated. Louise looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry I should've looked after you better"

"It's okay" Louise looked thoughtful.

"Um…you didn't puke on my clothes did you?" Rory rolled her eyes before pulling the freshly laundered outfit out of her duffel bag.

"They're clean" Louise smiled and clapped brightly.

The girls sat together at dinner the next day after study hall. Paris had Rory talking about Saturday night. She was well into a rant about the "moronic intellect" of "little boys" who would find that funny when Louise announced that she thought something was wrong.

"Look around guys" For the first time Rory looked about her. It was true that something was going on; two tables were huddled together talking with teachers. Rory caught sight of a worried looking Jay and her heart lurched. What was going on?

"I'll try and find out" Louise whispered and slunk off to a table near Jay's. Not wanting to wait, Rory made her way towards Jay as he had the same idea. Meeting her half-way he grasped her arm and whispered urgently in her ear.

"Have you seen Liz?" Rory frowned.

"What?"

"Have you seen Liz today?"

"No, why?" Jay dragged her out of the dining hall, trying to avoid being seen by teachers.

"She's missing" He whispered when they got into the hall.

"What?" Rory cried incredulously.

"Shh, they're keeping it quiet. She might've just gone into town or something"

"What's going on Jay?" Rory asked firmly. He sighed and winced.

"She left her dorm room late last night and no-one's seen her since"

"What are you two doing out here?" Mr. Phillips, a biology teacher barked. The twins, looking guilty, skulked back into the dining hall. Rory made her way b to the table where Louise was telling the other girls what had happened.

"She's probably off somewhere with Tristan" Paris scoffed.

"Swipe denied Gellar, Tristan's up there panicking with everyone else" Madeline whispered. The bell sounded over the PA and the students saw Headmaster Charlston at the front of the dining hall waiting for everyone's attention.

"Students, students" He clapped his hand. "Each dormitory building that I call out, would you please follow your house mother to your dormitories? You are to stay there until you are told you can leave" The students sighed but obeyed.

From there it escalated, spinning out of control around Rory. Rumours flew through the dormitory building as the girls were hearded in. Rory sat on Louise's bed by the window and watched as the police arrived, four squad cars.

"What do you think is going on?" Louise asked nervously. Rory shrugged.

"She'll just be visiting someone won't she?" Rory asked. Louise looked up miserably.

"Liz has been sneaking out of her dorm for ages to go to visit Tristan…but she always came back". Rory felt as though she should have noticed something. Liz lived in the dorm-room directly below hers and Louise's, with Summer. Rory felt as though she should've woken up when Liz gently closed the door, knowing Summer would have heard it anyway. Have been looking out the window when Liz slipped her hood up on her jacket and hurried to Tristan's ground-floor room. Should have heard his window open and Liz's giggle as she kissed him on the cheek. She was scared Rory realised, really scared.

It was five a.m. when they found the body. The body, such a cold way of describing a person. It was five a.m. when they found her, twisted and naked in the woods outside Chilton, strangled. The school tried to shield the students from the details but they still found them out. Disfigured so that her own parent's barely recognised her when they finally arrived. Covered in cigarette burns, slashes from a switch blade, her clothes nowhere to be seen. Her hair matted and wet. Her eyes, frozen open, glassy like those old-fashioned dolls. And worst, worst of all for beautiful Liz, violated, in every way you could be. Rory threw up for an hour at six a.m. when they re told to take the day off, that their parent's would be contacted. Louise sat on the bathroom floor with her and they cried together. They cried for the beautiful girl who Rory had disliked until she'd been so kind, so good. They cried for Tristan, for the girlfriend he'd lost. Hell they even cried for Summer, the school bitch who'd lost her best friend in the cruelest way. And they cried for themselves, that they belonged to a world where something like this was possible.

Jay found them in the girl's toilets on their floor and held Rory while she cried, Louise too at one point.

"Do you want to go home?" He finally asked his twin.

"No" She finally choked out.

"No I want to stay here with…with everyone" Jay nodded and held her again.

**AN: _This was always going to happen, it was how I got the idea. But I kind of got attached to Liz when I started writing her, so I'm sad too._**

Document: 1011575.doc

Author: Heath Maconachie

Save Date: 25/05/2006

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	5. Chapter 5

**AN: _Hey guys, I'm so glad that people are liking the story. This chapter you'll see where I'm going with it finally. _**

_**Kate86 – Have faith, trust me. There's twists coming up that will make you see.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG – _duh!**

Summer sat on her Bronwyn's bed, she didn't want to stay in her and Liz's room anymore. The detective was gentle with her, gruff but gentle somehow. She stared at a spot behind him on the wall and answered his questions mechanically.

"Did you hear Elizabeth leave?"

"Yes"

"What time was this?"

"1.30am, it's always 1.30am"

"Always? She did this often?" Summer nodded.

"Yes, she goes to…went to her boyfriend's dorm" The detective looked at his notes.

"Tristan uh…DuGrey?"

"Yes"

"Every night?"

"No"

"How often?"

"Three nights a week mostly"

"And she never came home that night?"

"No"

"And you didn't worry?" A tear trickled down Summer's cheek and Bronwyn touched her shoulder.

"No" She choked out, grasping Bronwyn's hand.

"Why not?"

"Because…she'd done it before"

"Stayed all night in Mr. DuGrey's room?"

"Yes, she'd sneak back during breakfast and I'd see her in class"

"Were they having sex?"

"I suppose so"

"You didn't talk about it?"

"Liz didn't talk about that"

"And she wasn't at breakfast?"

"No"

"And you didn't worry because you assumed she was back here getting changed" Summer nodded.

"I need you to answer the question Miss Roberts" He reminded her gently.

"Yes"

"What happen then?"

"We didn't have regular classes" Bronwyn said, "It was a day off so we had the morning off and study hall in the afternoon"

"We couldn't find her when we came back here" Summer said. "So we went shopping without her"

"You weren't worried?"

"We though she was with Tristan" Summer said, a sob catching in her throat.

"When did you realise she was missing?"

"Just before dinner, when we all met up to go in. She wasn't with Tristan" Bronwyn put in. "He'd thought she was with us all day. He told us she'd left his dorm room that night" Summer started sobbing again now, she'd thought she was out of tears but she was wrong.

"I'm sorry" She whispered.

"Miss Roberts, don't blame yourself. In these…situations people tend to blame themselves wrongly" Summer looked up at him.

"These situations?" She asked quietly and the detective looked down at his notepad.

"I think we'll leave it there for now," He said. "Thank you for your cooperation"

Detective Corry and his partner Detective Spencer stepped out into the hall way.

"Fuck I want o find this guy" Spencer was saying. He'd been silent through the interview.

"You and me both, I think we'd better go talk to this boyfriend" Spencer nodded.

"Why didn't you come forward straight away?"

"I did" Tristan replied.

"I mean when you knew she was missing"

"I did. I found out just before dinner" His eyes were red-rimmed and sat coiled tight on the sofa in the room he shared with Matt who was in the common room with the other guys.

"Right. So what time did Elizabeth arrive here?" Corry looked around the dorm room.

"2.30am"

"Really?"

"Yes"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes"

"How can you be?"

"Because I always look at my watch when she arrives and tell her she's late," His voice cracked and he sniffed quickly. "…except this time she actually was"

"Miss Roberts says Liz left her dorm at 1.30am"

"Summer's wrong"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes…no…I don't know, but it was definitely 2.30am when she arrived"

"Right. What time did she leave?"

"Around 4.30am"

"Around?"

"I didn't check my watch. I remember looking at the clock at one point and seeing it was 4am"

"Did you and Miss Belmont have sex?" Tristan's head snapped up and he answered through gritted teeth.

"Yes"

"Was it consensual?"

"Of course"

"Yes or no Mr DuGrey"

"Yes" He answered, his jaw clenched.

"Did you use a condom?" Tristan felt like somebody had climbed inside his chest and he was about to burst. He clenched and unclenched his jaw.

"No" He couldn't get the image of her climbing out his window out of his mind. She'd turned and thrown him a dazzling smile.

"Why not?"

"Because she's on the pill and we've been together exclusively for a year now"

"You mean she _was _on the pill" Tristan felt his breath leave him like someone had punched him in he guts and then the tears came. He hung his head in his hands as the door burst open.

"I am Janlen DuGrey, Tristan's grandfather, what the hell is going on here?" The detective stood to his feet and offered his hand to Janlen.

"Detective Jansen Corry Justice DuGrey, we're just asking Tristan a few questions about Elizabeth Belmont"

"Can't you see he's distraught?"

"We understand that this is a difficult time for your grandson but we need to get the facts freshly"

"This interview ends here unless you're taking him to the police station" Tristan was barely aware of what was going on. Detective Corry nodded.

"We will ask your grandson to supply a DNA sample"

"Then I will ask that my grandson's lawyer be present"

Rory was staring out the window with Louise's head in her lap when Tristan was led by two detectives and an older man to a squad car.

**AN: _Hey guys the next post will be up ASAP R&R_**

Document: 1011575.doc

Author: Heath Maconachie

Save Date: 25/05/2006

RMIT UniversityPage 2 of 2


	6. Chapter 6

RMIT University © 2006

**AN: _Wow! I'm really overwhelmed by the amount of reviews I'm getting. It's awesome. Except I'm noticing one thing, isn't it funny that when people leave reviews _**

**_To Nina: It's obviously AU, I didn't realize that I'd have to state that…sorry. And of course it has something to do with the show, for example: the majority of the characters. Besides, some of my favourite fics branch away from the show._**

**Disclaimer: I don't want to insult your intelligence, I'm pretty certain that everybody here knows I don't own _GG_.**

The student's were given the rest of the week off classes. Chilton's administration had assumed that they would go home but most stayed on campus, finding more comfort in each other and the surrounds they'd shared with Liz than by going home. Rory, Louise, Madeline and Paris spent most of their time in their rooms until Jay arrived on Thursday afternoon. He had to call Rory's cell from outside. The school was enforcing a strict ban on anybody entering dorms that weren't their own. She met him downstairs and they walked across the campus, his arm slung casually around her.

"This isn't good Ror"

"Tell me about it"

"I don't just mean about Liz" Rory looked up, the question in her eyes.

"Tristan, you know he was interviewed by the cops?" Rory nodded, everyone knew, of course he would have been. The whole school knew now that Liz had been with him before…She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Ror…I…I think he's in trouble"

"What do you mean?"

"I think he might be…"

"…a suspect?" She exclaimed, stopping dead. "Tristan!" Jay nodded miserably; he didn't want to believe it either.

"I want to see him" Rory said quietly. She hadn't seen him since the dinner where she'd found out.

"I don't know if…"

"I want to see him" She demanded, still quietly but in her _give me what I want or I will tell mom you sat on my head until I couldn't breathe so help me God _voice. Jay nodded and started with her towards the dorm he and Tristan lived in.

Tristan would be locked in his room as usual. Matt had been sleeping in Finn and Jay's room for the past few days. Tristan was a wreck, as was to be expected Jay supposed. He pushed open the oak door of Debalar building and peered in, the house mother Ms. Schmidt wasn't at her desk so he ushered Rory in and hurried her to Tristan's door. He knocked on the door but there was no response, he pulled the paperclip they'd been using to unlock the door and check on Tristan and worked its magic once more, pushing the door open. Tristan sat at the head of his bed, his knees drawn up in front of him and Rory pushed her way in. She stood in the doorway taking him in. His hair was a mess but it always was. His eyes were red-rimmed and he was wearing grubby loose jeans and a white wife-beater.

"Tristan?" She said quietly. He didn't seem to hear her, he was leaning his head back against the wall, his eyes closed.

"Tristan?" She said again, pushing Jay out the door and closing it behind him, ignoring his protests. She crossed the floor quietly and soon stood beside him, reaching out she touched his hair. Like lightening his hand shot out and grasped her wrist tightly. His eyes shot open and he leaned his head to look at her. She was shocked and sucked her breath in.

"Mary?" He asked his voice husky. She nodded and he let her go; she winced, her wrist was red where he'd grabbed her. She nodded, smiling gently, sinking to the ground to kneel beside him.

"Oh Tristan" She whispered as she ran her hand through his hair, he moved his head so that her hand rested against his cheek. She felt the tears as they reached her palm and her heart heaved in her chest for him. She remembered the way he'd looked at Liz that day at the coffee shop, how much love she'd seen in the eyes that now tried to focus on her face. He raised his left hand to cover hers and slowly brought it to his lips and kissed her palm. She felt the tears in her eyes.

"I know you loved her," He squeezed his eyes shut but she could see the tears threatening to spill again. "I can see you still do". She climbed up onto the bed with him, her hand still on his cheek, forcing him to face her. "And you know what? I knew her for a week, and I loved her too" He squeezed the air out of her when he hugged her, burying his face in her neck. In the four hours she spent there he never said a word apart from that first. When she left she went through the window, throwing his washing first. He watched her leave like Liz had and wondered if she would disappear as well.

Rory arrived back at her dorm that evening in time to go to dinner. It was a subdued affair lately.

"Where were you today?" Louise asked quietly.

"Just talking with Jay" Rory replied.

"I went looking for you" Rory shrugged and made an excuse to leave early. She wanted to do Tristan's washing. Normally she didn't go near a washing machine but he'd looked so hopeless, he hadn't even protested when she'd grabbed the bag. She laughed when she saw his black boxer shorts covered with dancing peanuts. _Idiot! _She thought, probably her first normal thought of the week. Lorelai was worried about the kids, but understood that they wanted to stay with their friends.

"Rory where were you really today?" Louise asked again that night.

"With Jay" Rory answered distractedly.

"Then why is Tristan's blazer hanging in your wardrobe?" Rory sighed.

"Okay, okay, I went to see him"

"Why?" Rory put down her book and leaned her head back.

"I don't know…I feel for him…"

"Rory…I grew up with Tristan…and I've known him obviously, for a long time. But right now…I don't think it's a good idea to be around him"

"Why not?" Louise sighed heavily.

"Because of things you don't know…"

"About him maybe being a suspect?" Rory asked.

"Among others" Louise replied with resignation.

"Come on Louise do you honestly believe he could have hurt her?" Louise blinked.

"I don't believe that _anyone _could have done that, but _someone _did and he was the last one to see her, he lied about it for God's sake and his story's wrong, he said 2.30 Summer said 1.30…"

"Louise shut up!" Rory screamed.

"I won't listen to this okay!" Louise raised her arms in self-defense

"Fine, fine…I'm sorry"

"So am I it's just that…"  
"I know"

Later that night Rory lay in the dark, unable to sleep, again. She hadn't slept since they'd gotten the news. She rubbed the wrist Tristan had hurt that afternoon and couldn't help it when her mind flicked to a picture of Liz; dead, strangled by hands like that.

**AN: _This is one of my favourite chapters that I've written so far, R&R to let me know what you think!_**

Document: 1011575.doc/RSISave Date: 25-05-2006Page: 2/2


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:_ Some people might think this is moving a bit slowly, but I want it to be relatively realistic. I don't to say "So Liz died" and then pick up six months in advance so Tristan and Rory can be together because he's like "completely over it" by that stage._**

_**Kat86: **There's plenty more drama ahead for Tristan's who's not officially a suspect yet! Stay tuned!_

_**Nk-number1actress: **Thank you so much and the reason I update so fast is that I usually pre-write my stories, or at least the first few chapters and from then I fly on. _

_**Bookluv16: **I didn't want to go down the road again of having Tristan head over heels for her, or anyone else for that matter. It seems to me, that in ever Trory every guy wants the girl but I wanted to diverge from that._

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG_ – duh!**

The funeral was the next week, after the autopsy had been completed. It was being held at Chilton in its Chapel on the Wednesday. Rory told Lorelai when she and Jay called home on the Saturday night.

"Would you like me to be there?"

"Would you?" Rory asked quietly.

"Of course babes, I'll be there Wednesday morning at nine".

She arrived on the dot. Rory and Jay met her in the Debelar building car park. The biggest surprise was that Christopher was with her. The twins were used to him being pretty much absent in their lives. He was a great father, just, when he was actually there.

"Dad!" Rory cried, running to him. He hugged h.

"Are you okay honey?" She nodded.

"It wasn't even like I knew her that well"

"Oh baby, baby don't do that" She looked up at him, "Don't ever apologise for the way you feel" She nodded and h kissed her head. Lorelai was the soberest Rory had seen her since they moved back and Emily and Richard suggested weekly dinners. Louise and Madeline were standing alone out the front of DuGrey building. Rory saw them, so did Lorelai.

"Isn't that your roommate?" Lorelai asked. Rory knodded, Lorelai took her arm and crossed to where the girls were standing. Louise was biting her lip, trying her best not to cry. Lorelai didn't say a word, instead she just hugged Louise.

"You poor kids" She murmured as she pulled Madeline in as well.

The funeral was beautiful, just like Liz. Rory sat, straight-backed with the other Chiltonites. Liz's parents were in the front pew. Her mother was stunning, tiny like Liz, cultured. Her father was handsome but much older than his wife. Rory looked around for Tristan and saw him in between Jay and Finn, the only Chiltonite with his shoulders slouched. She kept her eyes trained on him. Summer took the podium and made a speech, so did Bronwyn, and Matt. What about Tristan? When the funeral ended Matt, Finn, Jason, Mike, Liz's uncle and her father carried the coffin on their shoulders as though it was feather-light. What about Tristan? She wanted to scream. She watched him filter out with the others; she hurried through the crowd to catch up with him. She fell in to step beside him as he trudged toward the coffin; she was being buried in Hartford. He looked down at her but didn't say anything.

"Who's that?" Lorelai asked Jay.

"That's Tristan" Jay replied, worry evident in her voice.

"The _boyfriend_?" Lorelai exclaimed, concern clouding her eyes. She didn't like the stories about this boy.

"Aren't you going to the burial?" She asked him quietly as the crowds dispersed around them. Tristan shook his head.

"I'm not wanted there" He whispered as Liz's mother glared at him from the window of her car.

"But she was your girlfriend"

"And the girl they think I killed" Her breath caught, they hadn't spoken since the day in his room. She'd given his laundry back to Jay. But she'd never expected his first words to her to be these.

"They know you couldn't" He turned his eyes on her and she was shocked. They beautiful blue eyes had become black chips.

"Oh Tristan" He softened and grasped her hand, bringing it up to his cheek, kissing her palm like he did that day as Lorelai watched from a distance.

Rory refused to go to the burial as well.

"I'd rather stay here" She told her mother. "We're having the wake here tonight" Her mother nodded as they sat on her b.

"Honey"

"Mmm?"

"Was that Tristan today?" Rory looked up.

"Yes" She dead panned.

"I think that perhaps you should stay away from him"

"Why's that?" She asked a warning in her voice.

"Honey," Lorelai began, obviously conflicted by what she was having to say. "That boy, he, he's still being questioned"

"He's not a suspect mom"

"Only because his family could afford to get him off"

"Mom!"

"Rory you have to be realistic. You've never bee around kids like this. If they don't get what they want they take it"

"Even a life mom?"

"You don't know this world. I've seen these people get away with everything!"

"Mom! You don't know Tristan!" Rory jumped to her feet.

"Neither do you!" Lorelai retorted. "You've only been here for a couple of weeks! God the boy lied about her being in the room, and then he lied about the times!"

"He didn't do it!"

"Rory I want you to be careful…and I want that boy out of here"

"Shouldn't you and dad get going?" Rory asked dismissedly. Lorelai looked as though she'd been slapped before standing up.

"You might think you know the world Rory, but you're more innocent than even you know. You see the best in people, you always have, even when it's just not there" Rory stayed silent, turning to look out the window to the grounds where Tristan was standing alone.

Her parent's left and she changed into jeans and a sweat-shirt and went looking for Tristan. He was lying on the soccer field, his arms under his head.

"I think you should go to the wake" She said, standing at his feet. He closed his eyes as though pretending she wasn't there.

"Tristan"

"I'm not going Mary, give it up" She sighed.

"Come with me" He opened his eyes.

"Why are you doing this…being so good to me?" He asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.  
"You helped me for no good reason, I think you have a very good reason to need help, and I have a good one to give it" He shrugged and let her take his hand, pulling him to his feet. Mrs. Schultz, her house-mother was helping with the wake preparations. Rory almost snorted, she didn't know how Chilton expected to enforce his ban. She snuck Tristan in and led him up to the top level of DuGrey building, taking the elevator so they wouldn't have to see Liz's floor. She brought him into her room.

"What am I doing here Rory?"

"Spending time with a real person" She answered simply. He sat gingerly on Louise's bed. She turned on her CD player.

Tristan watched her impassively as she chose something to wear to the wake, finally settling on a plain black pencil skirt, black knee-length boots and a cream v-neck ruffle-fronted shirt.

"I wanted her to stay the night" He said, his voice clear and Rory turned.

"Why didn't she?" He shrugged.

"She had homework to finish. I told her it was our day off but she just laughed and said I had to get used to her not having enough time for me in Senior year" He closed his eyes and Rory crossed to him, standing in front of him, her hand on his shoulder.

"I told her I'd never get used to that and she just smiled this…amazing smile" His eyes were dreamy, not black like that afternoon. "…my breath caught…right here," he touched his collarbone. "Then she pulled her hood up, kissed me and jogged off…I never thought I'd end any story about Liz with _and I never saw her again_" Rory knelt in front of him and put her arms around him, he buried his head in her neck and pulled her close. They didn't pull apart until the door slammed. They turned to see Louise who was backed against the door.

"Tristan?"

"Lollie"

"What're you doing here?"  
"We're just hanging out" Rory replied firmly. "In fact, I'd better go change before the wake, Louise, can you keep Tristan company?"

Tristan and Rory walked towards the grand hall together, at the last minute she tried to take his hand but he pulled it away. She nodded and they walked in together. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as the people gather turned to watch. Photos of Liz were everywhere and Rory noticed this was where Tristan's eyes flicked and a beatific smile kissed his face so she smiled too. The room was silent but it took him a while to notice. It wasn't until Summer came towards him, her eyes red from crying.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She was screaming. Tristan suddenly grasped Rory's hand.

"Summer…" He began.

"No!" She screamed, "You don't get to talk Tristan! She's dead, she's dead because of you, you killed her!"

"Summer…" Rory put in.

"And you, you don't even want to know what I think about you traitor!" She spat as Ms. Schmidt rushed over to try and calm the situation. The rest of the people just looked at their feet. Mrs. Schwartz led the hysterical Summer away.

"I want to leave" Tristan whispered.

"You don't have to"

"I really have to leave" He hissed.

"Okay, okay, we'll go" Rory whispered, her hand on his arm as they walked out together. Jay followed them.

"Rory!"

"Yes Jay?"

"Where are you going?"

"To the Senior's common room for a coffee"

"Alone?" He eyed Tristan who laughed coldly.

"What are you worried about Hayden?" He asked as he placed his hand around the back of Rory's neck, his fingers wrapping around her throat gently. He leaned forward as Jay narrowed his eyes.

"It's late, I think we should all go to our rooms"

"We will" Tristan said easily. Rory shivered at his hand on her neck but let herself be led to the common room by him.

**AN: _Let me know what you think. I've got a pretty clear idea of where I'm taking this but I'm always open to suggestions._**


	8. Chapter 8

**_AN: Thank you so, so much for all of my wonderful reviews. I'm so excited, like a littl kid at Christmas when I see they've gone up._**

_**nina:** thank you, I know i's really AU, so I've just scooped up the characters and thrown them into my own plot etc. I'm glad you like it ayway._

_**Karah06:** Thank you for your advice. It should make the story alot easier for everyone to follow. That was great. And dow we know the killer? I'm not sure yet, I haven't even decided who did it...any suggestions?_

_**HolyCrossBaby: **Stay tuned, I'm working it slowly so the suspense and URST builds up._

_**Kat86: **The chapters should start getting a little longer now, with a few scenes in tem instead of jut one or two. Thanks for reading_

**Disclaimer: Although I now own a modem with my very own internet connection - which means even more updates! - I sadly, don't own _GG_.**

Rory sat in the dining hall for lunch the next day. She hadn't seen Tristan at breakfast and now she was watching the door for him. She was sitting with Paris, Louise, Madeline, Finn and Jay. Paris was talking about an assignment they'd been given in class. As far as the school was concerned, the grieving time for Liz was over. She watched as the doors opened and Tristan walked in.

This time two weeks ago he had been greeted by dazzling smiles from the girls, claps on the back from the guys. He'd been greeted like a God, like a movie star, like…like Tristan DuGrey. Today though, her heart broke as he watched him walk through the hall, his head down, everybody's eyes on him though they'd never let it show. Without actually having to do anything, the kids made it clear that he wasn't welcome to sit with any of them. As he was approaching their table Jay and Finn looked down and Rory looked at them in horror.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at her brother as Paris grabbed Tristan's blazer.

"Sit down DuGrey" She said loudly. "We need to talk about this project" Rory grinned while the boys scowled. She'd never thought she'd see the day that Tristan DuGrey would have reason to be grateful to Paris Gellar. He shrugged and sat down, his eyes cold until they met Rory's. He smiled softly at her but there was still an edge to it.

It was the strangest thing she'd ever seen. This boy who'd once been their King was now on the outside. Nobody wanted anything to do with him except the few that knew without any doubt that he hadn't done anything to hurt Liz. Paris had made that clear, as had Rory and Madeline. Louise was still uncertain ad Jay and Finn were acting strangely. Even his roommate, Matt, had moved out for the time being and rather than sitting with Tristan and standing by him, was ensconced in Summer's party.

Rory walked with him to class after lunch, it was literature, and they sat next to each other, at the back. Rory glared at Summer who kept looking over her shoulder.

* * *

On Friday afternoon Rory packed her duffel bag for the weekend and hugged Louise good-bye. There were no Chilton parties this weekend. She made her way down to her car until she saw Tristan standing next to his, just standing. She watched him. He was looking around, bemused, waiting for someone to come up and clap him on the back, tell him to have a good weekend, ask him which parties he was going to go. And perhaps, perhaps for Liz to come bouncing down the steps of DuGrey building and into his arms. She crossed to him.

"Hey Mary"

"It's Rory" He smiled half-heartedly.

"I know"

"What's on this weekend?" He sighed heavily.

"Well I was having a party at mine, my parents are away…well, they haven't come back" Rory was horrified that they hadn't come back at this time in their son's life. He looked around himself.

"But I suppose that that's been more than cancelled" Rory smiled wryly then on impulse, added:

"Come and pick me up tomorrow afternoon, say two and we can do something"

"I don't accept pity invitations," He said coldly and she recoiled a little before laughing it off.

"It's not a pity invite Tristan, it's just that you're like, the hottest guy at school" She trailed her finger down his chest, surprised at how defined it was at seventeen. He burst out laughing.

"The Mary becomes a Magdalene" She shrugged good-naturedly. "Okay, okay, two o'clock it is"

* * *

The next day Rory pulled on a knee-length black skirt with boots and a v-necked blue sweater. She heard the doorbell ring and she bounced downstairs to answer it.

"Hey, come in" She said to him with a smile. He stepped into the house self-consciously.

"Want a coke or something?"

"No, no I'm fine"

"Rory?" Came Lorelai's voice. Rory cringed as her mom rounded the corner into the foyer and stopped dead.

"Tristan" He stepped forward, offering his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Gilmore" She ignored his hand.

"What the hell is _he _doing here Roy?" Tristan winced and Rory blushed.

"We're going out" Rory replied, tilting her chin up in defiance.

"Like hell you are"

"Mom"

"Don't _mom _me, you," She continued, turning on Tristan "Get the hell out of my house and don't you ever come near my daughter again!" Tristan turned to Rory.

"I'll see you at school" He whispered as he backed out of the house. Rory glared at h mother before running after him.

"Tristan! Tristan wait!" She was horrified. He turned to her with cold eyes and she stops dead.

"I'm sorry" She whispers.

"It's not your fault"

"Then whose is it?" He sighed heavily.

"Look, let's get out of here for a while" he looked at her hopefully before Lorelai's voice shattered their moment. She was now on the porch with Jay.

"Rory come back here!" Rory turned to her mother and when she turned back Tristan was in his car.

* * *

"I can't believe you" Lorelai laughed ruefully.

"You can't believe me huh? What the hell did you think you were doing bringing that monster here? He may be pretty but he's evil"

"He's not evil mom! Jay tell her, you told me what a good guy he was at first" Jay shrugged.

"That was before" Rory stomped her feet, she was on the verge of a full-blown tantrum. Christopher tried to hose down the situation.

"Lorelai, perhaps you're being a bit drastic. The poor guy hasn't been charged with anything, he's just lost his girlfriend…"

"Don't you dare Chris! Don't you dare defend _that!" _Lorelai spat. They all turned as Rory kicked and screamed her way out of the kitchen and up to her bedroom.

* * *

Rory didn't see Tristan again until Monday morning. He ignored her waving to him at breakfast and sat by himself, hunched over the table. She watched him as she sipped her coffee. He'd changed, she shook her head, of course he'd changed, in two weeks he'd been through so much. First he lost the love of his life ad then he lost his footing as King of Chilton. Rory couldn't believe the other students. She'd never seen people turn so quickly. Summer was leading the Hate Tristan club of course. She was acting as though she was the only person with any right to miss Liz. Even Tristan's oldest friends had abandoned him. Rory had asked Louise about it the night before:

_Louise sat at her dressing table, facing the mirror. Rory had told her what had happened on Saturday. But to her horror, Louise had agreed with Lorelai._

"_Why are you doing this?" Rory asked Louise. "You've known him longer than anyone…how can you turn your back on him?" Louise sighed._

"_It's not that I want to Rory…I don't. But there's thins I know about Tristan"_

"_Like what?" Louise stopped brushing her hair and half-turned._

"_I've seen him"_

"_What do you mean?" Louise's eyes darkened._

"_I've seen the way he is when he loses his temper" Rory scoffed._

"_Everybody loses their temper now and then"_

"_Not like him" Rory frowned and cocked her head. Tears were forming in Louise's eyes._

"_I've seen him nearly kill a guy…a boy" Rory sat down next to her._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_It was my boyfriend…years ago. We were fourteen and he was my first boyfriend. His name was Mike, Michael Nightingale"_

"_I don't know him" Louise looked down at the ground._

"_He isn't here anymore, his parents moved away afterwards". Rory put her hand on Louise's shoulder to get her to continue._

"_We had been dating for a few weeks. He was Matt's cousin, so he was sort of friends with Tristan and that group, but not really. Tristan didn't like him, he never liked any of the guys that liked me. He was always over protective of us, me and Mads, and Paris" Rory nodded._

"_And then, there was this party, that Mike threw for his friends one night when his parents were away. Tristan and Matt and Finn, they crashed it and spiked the drinks and everything. Mike and I weren't there. They couldn't find us. We were upstairs…in a bedroom…Tristan, he was drunk an h was pissed off when he found us. E weren't doing anything, just thinking about it. But he completely lost it. I remember him grabbing Mike by the collar of his shirt. He beat him up pretty badly. I was in shock, I couldn't say anything. And then, hen Tristan threw him through the French windows. Mike fell over the balcony. The sound when he hit the concrete downstairs was just…I remember I screamed then and Tristan, he held me, like pinned my arms to me in this hug and kept telling me it was going to be okay." There was tightness in Rory's chest._

"_Oh my God" She whispered. Louise nodded, tears trickling down her cheeks slowly._

"_The police came, the ambulance. Mike, he had broken bones, some internal injuries, but worst of all, something happened to his head, the fall…it was some kind of damage which meant he couldn't form memories for long, and had trouble remembering things from before. He'd wanted to go to college, study art history and lecture but, well…" Rory felt cold._

"_What happened to Tristan?" Se asked quietly._

"_He said it was an accident" Louise whispered. "It was only the two of us there apart from Mike. He told the police they'd fought, but that he hadn't meant for Mike to fall. They believed him because…because I agreed with him" Rory squeezed her shoulder._

"_It's okay Louise" Louise stared at her in the reflection of the mirror._

"_No Rory, it's not, I know what happened that night, I saw the look in Tristan's eyes. When he loses it, he just loses it, even with Liz he did. I remember one night they had an argument because she was drunk and dancing with Finn. It was completely innocent of course but he was pissed off anyway, he grabbed her by the wrist in the middle of the floor. Finn tried t calm him down but he just kept yelling about how she didn't feel the same as him. She told him he was hurting her but he just dragged her out. Of course, they were fine. They didn't fight that much but when they did they were fine within a few minutes" Rory tried to ignore the light bruises on her wrist, pulling her jumper down to cover them._

"_Louise…still, one drunken brawl, does that qualify you as a cold-blooded murderer? Michael, that might have been an accident but Liz?" Louise dried her eyes._

"_You don't understand" She sniffed._

"_You're right, I don't"_

"_Oh Rory, I don't know anymore. I always thought Michael had been an accident but now, with Liz. I guess it was always in the back of my mind, but it's made it all fresh again"_

"_What happened, to Michael I mean?"_

"_He left, his parents moved away, it's difficult, in a place like this to bring up a kid who's…different"_

"_Did you ever see him again"_

"_Every year" Louie thought about the photo album in her bedside drawer, filled with photos of her and the only boy who'd every really cared about her. "I visit him, they live in Pennsylvania, in a small town. Nobody knows I do that. It's difficult, sometimes he knows me, other times he doesn't."_

"_Why do you do that to yourself?" Rory asked quietly._

"_Because I love him" Louise replied simply. "He opened my eyes, he still does. In some way, he always will" Rory couldn't believe it. Louise had always seemed as though she had a head full of bubbles, but here she was, pouring out to Rory a very mature heart. _

Rory finished her coffee and said good-bye to the girls and Jay and Finn. One the spur of the moment, as she was leaving the cafeteria, she slid into a chair opposite Tristan.

"I'm sorry about my mom" She said when he looked up at her, his eyes were heavy. "I'm sorry that there are people who have changed the way he act towards you. I'm sorry that you lost Liz and I know how hard it is for you right now" He watched her, waiting for her to continue.

"But all that means is that your friends were never good ones to begin with" He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you finished?" He asked quietly. She held up her finger.

"Almost, finally, I'm sorry that I almost threw up in your car" He stared at her for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. She smiled as well but sobered.

"I know that it's difficult at the moment, but there's a few of us here who really do care for you, don't push us away as well" He didn't make any promises, just nodded and sipped his coffee.

* * *

Summer watched Tristan from her seat in the cafeteria. He was sitting with Rory Gilmore and her friends. Summer's eyes narrowed, he didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be here, laughing, joking while Liz was…She reached for her wallet. Inside was Detective Corry's business card. She flipped open her cell and dialed the number.

"Detective Corry? It's Summer Roberts, I have some information about Liz Belmont"

**AN: Summer's a bitch. She really did love Liz but she really, really hates Tristan. Can anyone guess why? And Lorelai, I know she's usually really cool, but the only evidence the police have points to Tristan, she's just trying to protect her daughter. Stay tuned for chapter nine and more problems facing Tristan.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: _I don't know what you guys are going to think of Louise's revelation in the last chapter. Please don't hate me for making Tristan alot darker than he ever was in the show. But I don't want to portray him as in infallible angel. People do get drunk, people do misconstrue situations, people do make mistakes. Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing!_**

**Disclaimer: I think we've established by now that I own nothing - except my nifty new broadband connection - especially not _GG_.**

"Tristan DuGrey?" Tristan turned from where he was leaning against Rory's locker talking to her and Madeline. The two detectives investigating Liz's murder stood with Headmaster Charlston.

"Yes?"

"We'd like you to accompany us down to the station to answer a few questions" Tristan rubbed his jaw.

"I'll have to call my lawyer"

"You can call him from there" Headmaster Charlston looked distraught as the police led Tristan away.

* * *

"Do you remember the name 'Michael Nightingale'?" Tristan closed his eyes. Hi lawyer sat next to him.

"You don't have to answer that" Tristan held up his hand to silence him.

"Yes, I do"

"Would you care to tell us again about the night of Mr. Nightingale's…accident?"

"I was drunk, we fought, he fell through the window and over the balcony"

"What did you fight about?"

"I thought he had attacked a friend of mine…a female friend"

"You thought?"  
"Yes"

"But you were wrong?"

"Yes"

"He must have…fallen with some force to break the window ad go over the balcony"

"Yes" Tristan agreed.

"What are you insinuating Detective?" Tristan's lawyer asked.

"We're just trying to confirm details"

"Well I don't see what this has to do with Elizabeth Belmont…how is that case coming along?" Detective Corry ignored the remark and pushed on.

"Mr. DuGrey, in November last year, a room full of acquaintances witnessed you dragging Miss Belmont from a party by her wrist" Tristan remembered the night.

"Yes"

"So you had a violent past with the deceased"  
"No, of course not. We were at a party and she was drunk, I was just…"

"Just what, Mr. DuGrey?"

"Trying to get her out of there, I was angry"

"Were you angry the night Miss Belmont disappeared?"

"No"

"You didn't fight?"

"No"

"Not even when Miss Belmont broke up with you?"

"What?" Tristan exclaimed. Detective Corry checked his notes.

"Miss Roberts told us that Miss Belmont said she was going to break up with you that night"

"That is hear say and conjecture" Tristan's lawyer stepped in.

"Do you have any hard evidence?" He asked next. Tristan butted in.

"She didn't break up with me, she told me she loved me, only me!" His voice was anguished but the detectives just smiled benignly. Tristan's lawyer put his hand on the youth's arm to quiet him.

"Do you have any hard evidence pertaining to Miss Belmont's death and my client?"

"We asked Mr. DuGrey, the day after the murder to supply a DNA sample" Tristan nodded. "The tests done on Miss Belmont conclude that they had sex"

"Mr. DuGrey told you that during his first interview" The detective nodded.

"The Medical Examiner concluded from injuries that Miss Belmont had been raped" Tristan's eyes stung with tears, he clenched his jaw.

"What are you saying detective? You're stepping into dangerous waters. Do you have any other evidence which links Mr. DuGrey to this crime?" It became clear the detectives didn't at that time. Tristan's lawyer took him back to the school. Tristan was silent, his jaw set as they drove down th highway leading to the school.

"Tristan," Mr. Jenkins, his lawyer began, "This will al be over soon. They can't link you to the crime"

"They mightn't be able to, but everyone else can" He said quietly.

"I've spoken to your grandfather, about the viability of you perhaps changing schools. He was…reluctant for you to do that without your father's in put. Do you know where you father is?" Tristan snorted.

"Over in Europe somewhere with mother. I don't want to leave school"

"Perhaps you should move in with your grandparents until this all…blows over. It can't be healthy to be living alone"

"That's how I prefer it"

* * *

It was early evening when he got back. His mind hadn't stopped racing since the moment the interview had begun. _Not even when Miss Belmont broke up with you? _He didn't want to go to his room, he needed…something. He made his way to his car, he'd drive into town, get some beer, scotch…who cared anyway. Louise saw his car roar out of the car park, was she wrong about him? Had she imagined the look in his eyes when Michael crashed through the glass? The look of triumph? Or was that the clearest memory she'd ever had? She was worried, worried for Rory. She'd watched Liz fall head over heels for Tristan. It was a gift he had, and one even he didn't understand. There was something about him, something magnetic that hypnotised the girls that came into contact with him. She had felt that pull herself, not long after Michael, she'd lost her virginity to him. They'd grown apart for a while after that. It was difficult to go back to being friends with someone when you realised they'd never even known what they were doing while they seduced you. She could see it happening to Rory; she was falling under his spell. Louise watched them every chance she got. Tristan's eyes would linger on her, hers on him. She looked over at Rory, stretched out on her bed, reading a novel. Louise would look out for her; it wasn't going to happen again.

Tristan had been sitting on the bleachers for the last hour getting riotously drunk on gin. Fucking Summer the bitch. Why would Liz have been breaking up with him? His mind was screaming and reeling and he wanted to go with it, agree with it. He stumbled towards the dormitory buildings. He'd show summer. He picked up a hand full of rocks and flung them towards her window in DuGrey building. Rory jumped when the stones, which missed Summer's window, hit hers. Louise was in the shower and Rory had just been listening to music before lights out. She looked out the window; Tristan was downstairs, yelling something. Without stopping to think she hurried downstairs. Mrs. Shultz was at her desk. Rory swore under her breath and jumped back into the stair well. The first-level common room would still be open. She let herself in, it was dark but she didn't want to turn on lights. She pushed open the window and climbed out quickly, getting tangled in the bushes. Se pushed on, running around to where he was.

"You fucking bitch!" He was screaming at the window.

"For Christ's sake Tristan! Are you crazy?" She exclaimed. He turned to her, his dead eyes back again.

"Mary" She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the football field.

"I wanna go back there, I wanna tell Summer she's a fucking bitch!"

"I want to tell her that as well…what happened with the police?"  
"Summer told them Liz was going to break up with me. Now they think we fought and that I raped her and killed her because of that"

"Oh my God…" He fell to the ground and laid back.

"Why would she say that?"

"She hates me" Rory raised her eyebrow.

"Enough to do this?"

"In a word…yes"

"Tristan you're drunk"

"In a word…yes" Rory nodded grimly.

"You need to go to bed"

"I need to get this out"

"Did the police ask anything else?"

"Yeah…just about a thing that happened a few years ago" Rory took a deep breath.

"Michael Nightingale?" Tristan stared at her in shock before understanding reached him.

"Louise told you" Rory nodded.

"Yes, about Michael…they're trying to prove a history of violence" Rory sat down on the grass next to him and he turned to look her in the eyes.

"Do you think I did it?" Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat faster. She put her hand on his chest and he covered it with his own.

"No…I don't" He sat up slowly, tracing his fingers down her cheek. She stared at him, lost in his eyes. Even at their coldest, their darkest, there was something magnetic about them. Slowly, so slowly he tilted her head up, moving closer towards her. He gently pressed his lips to hers. She couldn't close her eyes; she kept watching him as he kissed her. His eyes were open as well, clouded. He pulled away, finally closing his eyes. Rory gently touched her fingers to her lips.

"I need to go back" She whispered before getting to her feet and running off.

**AN: There, there's your first real taste of TRORY action wih plenty more angst to come. Please, please hi teh little button an tell me what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: _Just a little warning, this could be the last update for coupl of days. Back at uni tomorrow and my lecturers are breathing down my neck for TV stories and essays. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story!_**

_**photoboothromance: Thanks for the suggestions you'll see I put them to use soon enough!**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, even the lap-top I'm using technically belongs to my mother!**

Rory's lips were still tingling. The kiss had been innocent…hadn't it. Any kiss friends might share. But were they friends? They'd only known each other a few weeks. Perhaps the events in between had drawn them closer. But the kiss had definitely been innocent. She touched her lips again and smiled stupidly. No, no, no! She was not falling for Tristan DuGrey, his _girlfriend_; his sweet, perfect girlfriend had just been murdered. She was still confused, so was he. The police were hounding him; his friends had abandoned him. She believed him and that had thrown them headlong into all of this. So why, why did she feel as though her eyes were open for the first time in her life?

She needed to back off stay away for a while. Sure, she was probably all he had right now but he was clouding her judgement. She had to be smart about it. She fixed her uniform and hurried towards her class. The crowds were gathered around the notice boards in the hallway. Madeline grabbed Rory's arm and pulled her into the midst of the crowd.

TRISTAN DuGREY

The poster began;

ANGEL?

Below was a picture of Tristan and Liz dressed up for Junior Prom, holding each other's hands and grinning.

OR MURDERER?

Rory gasped at the picture of the body bag that had been driven away from the Chilton grounds that awful morning.

"Oh my God" Madeline breathed.

WE KNOW THE TRUTH.

TELL THE AUTHORITIES WHAT TRISTAN DuGREY REALLY IS!

AND GET HIM OUT OF CHILTON FOREVER!

"Alright, clear off!" Paris was barking at the teaming crowd as she tore down the posters. Rory jumped into action to help her pulling down the yellow and pink pages and stuffing tem in the bin.

"You're disgusting" Madeline told the seniors gathered around. "Up until now you all hung off him! You fucking parasites!" She grabbed a sheath of fliers from a freshman and tore them all in half. Jay pushed his way to Rory and took a sheet.

"Jesus Christ" She glared at him.

"Did you have anything to do with this?"

"What?"

"You heard me, you're in the cheer squad with Summer aren't you?"  
"Rory…you know I wouldn't do this" She glared at him and threw her handful in the bin. Turning she saw Tristan watching impassively from the other side of the hallway. A freshman girl that was a part of the pack that had followed Liz and Summer tried to hand him a poster before she realised who he was and scuttled away. His eyes were glassy as they locked with hers.

"What's going on here?" Headmaster Charlston demanded and Paris handed him a poster.

"Just your average, garden-variety smear campaign" She snarled. Charlston's eyes widened.

"Who did this?" He demanded. He was met with silence. "Get to class!" He snapped and the students began to disperse.

* * *

Tristan was followed by whispers and stares for the rest of the week and had never been as glad to see Friday as he was then. Until, of course, his car wouldn't start.

"Fuck it!" He screamed as he kicked the wheel. What else could possibly go wrong in his life? At the start of the year everything had looked so perfect, he was confident about college acceptance, he and Liz had been perfect, he had never been more popular and now in three weeks everything had come crashing down around his ears.

"Car trouble?" Jay asked quietly and Tristan glared at him.

"Fuck off Hayden" Jay raised his arms in self-defense.

"Okay, I deserved that…but looks to me like you need a ride home" Tristan scowled.

"And, seeing as though I won't let my sister drive you, you'd better come with me" Tristan laughed ruefully but didn't look the gift-horse in the mouth, grabbing his bag and throwing it into the back of Jay's Jeep. He climbed in as Rory hurried up.

"Jay can I ride with…you? Tristan, hey"

"Hey"

"Sure sis, jump in" The three drove in silence mostly, Rory casting furtive glances all the while at her brother and Tristan. She didn't get it, last week Jay had hated him.

Headmaster Charlston had said in assembly that he hadn't been able to find out who had made the posters. Rory had laughed out loud then and Summer had glared at her. He had gone on to say that such uncharitable activities would not be condoned. Tristan had bee dignified throughout at least.

They reached Hartford and Tristan had to direct Jay to his house. He climbed out of the jeep and banged his hand on Jay's door.

"Thanks for the ride man" Jay stared straight ahead.

"No worries man" Tristan stared at Rory.

"See you at school Mary" He smirked and she blushed. Jay pulled out of the driveway.

"Why did you do that?" She asked. Jay shrugged.

"He needed a ride"

"I thought you were one of the 'Tristan's a Monster' boosters" Jay shrugged again.

"Rory, you have to admit, it's strange. There's a lot there to say he could have done it"

"Except any hard evidence" Jay nodded.

"I don't think it's smart for you to get involved with him"

"I'm not involved with him"

"Rory, you couldn't be any more involved with him. It's just that there's some types of people I can't protect you from" Rory sighed.

"And there's some times when you can't protect me Jay. You're my brother, not my guardian angel. Let it go" He shook his head slightly.

"But I am glad you did this today…thank you"

* * *

Things were still strained between Rory and Lorelai. Lorelai had found out about the posters and had brought it up over dinner at the Gilmore's.

"_It was disgusting" Rory said decidedly._

"_But I can see their point" Lorelai interjected._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_The kids who did it, I can understand why"_

"_Why mom?"_

"_Because they're scared! I'd be scared too in their position"_

"_Of what?"_

"_Of the boy who may have murdered that girl"_

"_Lorelai, there's no proof of that!" Emily cried, scandalized. "The DuGrey's are a very upstanding family" Rory nodded, glad of her grandmother's support however dubious it may be._

_"He hasn't been charged, he's not been named a suspect!" _

"_Oh Rory, I don't want to have this fight again"_

"_Too late mom, too late"_

She lay in bed thinking about it. Why was she so sure of his innocence? Did it all boil down to that one moment in the coffee shop? Or was it more personal…was she falling for him? For a boy broken in every way you could be? She wanted to save him, wanted to build him back up and maybe, maybe somewhere, have him look at her one day, they he'd looked at Liz. It was crazy; she'd never felt this way before, never fought with her mother over a boy. Never not spoken to her brother. Never snuck out at night. Yet that's what she was doing now. She had slipped on jeans and a singlet with a light jacket over the top. She made her way out to the driveway. She'd take her mother's Mercedes. The car started silently and she thanked god as she pulled out of he driveway. Hitting the road she flicked the lights on. She knew how to get to his house; she'd memorised it the day before. And even though it was Saturday she knew he'd be home…and that his parents wouldn't be. She pulled into the driveway and turned off the car engine. She ran to the front door and rang the doorbell. It took him a while to answer the door. When he did he stood before her in only a pair of jeans, towelling off his hair. She tried not to let her eyes roam overhis torso, mtnally slapping herself when they did.

"Mary?" He asked incredulously.

"I almost expected to see Summer running off laughing when I opened the door" Rory didn't smile, and neither did he. He stepped back to let her in and she walked into the hall. In silence she followed him upstairs to his suite. He pulled on a wife-beater and stared at her.

"I don't know why I'm here" She mumbled.

"Why are you here Mary?" He took a step closer to her and she swallowed dryly.

"Why are you here?" His voice was barely above a whisper now. She looked away so he reached for her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Why are you here?" He asked her again.

"My eyes are open" He stared at her and she went on, "it feels as though I've been asleep for so long, never sure, always following. And then you came along and everything happened to turn my world on its head. And now it feels as though I've opened my eyes…for you. I want to know you; I want to know everything about you. To be able to explain you and things you do. I want to be here for you, no questions asked" He was now standing over her.

"What are you saying Rory?"

"I…I don't want to just be the girl who talks to you in the hallway…I want to be your friend" He laughed.

"You're an idiot" She looked offended.

"What do you mean?"

"Only you, Mary, would show up in a guy's bedroom at…" He checked his watch, "in the middle of the night, and ask to be friends" She blushed and he touched her cheek.

"I don't know what I would've done without you and Gellar lately, Mads as well. We were already friends" She looked up at him.

"You know…you're not such an asshole" He laughed.

* * *

They lay side-by-side on his bed later.

"What do you want in life?" Rory asked him. He sighed.

"I used to want to finish high school, go off to college…to Harvard, study Law, get married you know…the usual around here"

"And now?"

"Now I want to find him…I want to find whoever killed her"

"Are you angry?"

"I don't know…"

"You love her"

"I always will to some degree. They say you never get over the people you loved and she was the first person I ever loved"

"How would you find him?"

"I have ideas" Rory pulled herself up on one elbow and looked down at him.

"Do you know who did it?" He shrugged.

"There was this guy…a guy that she was with when we were on a break…he was...obsessed with her"

"And you think he could have…?"

"I don't know, I'll find out though. I'm going to find him"

"Alone?" He shrugged.

"I'll go with you…"

"Rory..." She leaned over him.

"Stop fighting me Tristan...I'm just being here for you. Don't fight it" His eyes had darkened as he looked up at her. Slowly he reached up to cup her cheek, bringing her face down to his, as their lips met they heard the sirens.

Tristan looked out the window as the squad cars came to a screeching halt in the drive.

"We have company" He announced dryly. Rory crossed to where he stood.

"Oh my God…what now?" She keened. She followed Tristan as he pounded down the stairs, talking to his lawyer on his cell phone. The lawyer would be there in ten minutes. Tristan opened the door to the genial face of Detective Corry, Rory hovered behind him.

"Mr. DuGrey…we meet again" Tristan didn't say anything.

"May we come in and ask you a few questions?"

"We'll have to wait for my lawyer to be present" Tristan answered through gritted teeth. The detective smiled broadly and stepped past Tristan. He stopped when he saw Rory. She stared up at him.

"I'm Detective Corry"

"Roy Gilmore-Hayden"

"Ahh, a pleasure to meet you" She didn't say anything as Tristan led the officers to the parlor. His lawyer, Mr. Jenkins, arrived a few minutes later.

"Mr. DuGrey…we have received an anonymous tip that Miss Belmont was having an affair?" Tristan laughed.

"From Summer Roberts, I assume?"

"I said it was anonymous"

"Just like the posters" Roy whispered and the detective turned to look at her. She fell silent again.

"Were you aware that Miss Belmont was having an affair?"

"How can I be aware of something that wasn't happening?"

"Mr. DuGrey, were you, or were you not questioned over an attack on a Mr. Justin Bellevue in June last year?"

"I was"

"And why did you fight with Mr. Bellevue?" Tristan met the detective's stare.

"Because he and Liz had been seeing each other"

"She had been cheating on you?"

"No…we weren't exclusive"

"Yet you were angry?"

"Of course"

"Only with Mr. Bellevue?"

"Yes"

"Why's that?"

"Because he tried to force her to…"

"To have sex with him?"

"Yes" Rory was shaking her head slowly. Detective Corry checked his notes.

"And you…smashed a beer mug on his face?" Tristan hung his head.

"Yes"

"Did you do anything else to him?" Tristan shook his head and when he raised it he looked straight at Rory. He knew what he was about to say would shake her confidence in him.

"I…I burnt him, put my cigarette out on his cheek" Rory's hand flew to her mouth and she tore her eyes away from Tristan's. The detective nodded.

"And you have been questioned over a knife incident?"

"Once"

"And that was earlier this year?"

"Yes"

"You pulled a knife on a young man in the streets of Hartford?" Tristan nodded.

"Yes"

"Where are you going with this detective?" Mr. Jenkins interjected.

"I'm simply establishing a history of violence in Mr. DuGrey and a motive" Tristan stood to his feet suddenly and the detective jumped a little in his seat.

"How can you say that?" He cried, anguished. "I loved her! I _loved _that girl!" Mr. Jenkins grabbed his arm and pulled him down where Tristan huddled in the chair, his facea mottled red.

"Are you charging him?" The detective met Mr. Jenkins' cool stare but shook his head.

"Not at this point, no"

The interview ended and Mr. Jenkins left, telling Tristan not to worry. Tristan closed the door and turned to Rory. She backed away from him and his heart plummeted.

"Mary" Her eyes, they were strange. Filled with…what? Fear? God, don't let her be afraid of him.

"Mary I'm sorry…you shouldn't have been here for that" She didn't say anything and he moved closer to her. She backed up further but hit the wall. Her eyes were panicked for a moment. He stood over her, pinning her against the wall.

"But now you know the truth" She swallowed.

"And what is the truth Tristan?" He laughed coldly.

"That the only thing keeping me from being charged is my surname" She breathed an audible sigh of relief, but the strange look in her eyes didn't go away.

"Mary, Mary, Mary" He traced his finger along her jaw line and she stiffened. His eyes softened as they met hers.

"Please Mary, please don't do this. Don't be afraid of me…I couldn't bear it if you believed them" She looked up at him. She was scared she realised, but at the same time, another feeling, a stronger feeling. A confidence that everything would work out if she just stopped listening to her head. She touched his wife-beater, pulling him closer to her until they pressed together. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

* * *

It was 5 a.m. before Rory left Tristan's house. They had sat up, with mugs of coffee, talking, just talking, abou everything except that kiss that almost was in his bedroom.

"_Who's Justin Bellevue?" She asked him. His eyes darkened._

"_Liz and I…before we were really together, we were just dating. She met Justin at a party, he wasn't from Hartford, he was from upstate. They went on a couple of dates but I wasn't happy about it and she agreed to break it off with him" He stopped and took a sip from the mug cupped in his hands. _

"_He came to Hartford again and called her. She didn't tell me, but they went on another date, to a party she didn't think I'd be at. I was supposed to be in New York with Matt. But the trip was cancelled at the last minute so we went to the party. She was really embarrassed about it. About me seeing them there together, but it was okay until…well, Matt came to find me, Liz was in tears, hysterical. She said Justin had tried to…you know" Rory nodded._

"_And I just…I snapped. I mean, that was the girl I loved. It was just after that night that we got together exclusively"_

"_Was he the guy you were talking about before? About finding?" Tristan nodded silently._

He walked her to the door and leaned against it.

"Thanks Mary…for everything…" She smiled at him and h tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Unconsciously she tilted her head to prolong the contact but he drew his hand away. When she looked at him he was blushing and had stepped back.

"I'll see you soon" She told him, feeling like and idiot and jogging across to the car. As she backed out of the drive Tristan sighed. He wouldn't do it again, he refused to do it again. He would never again love a person more than they loved him, he'd rather be alone.

* * *

The lounge room lamp was on when Rory got home. She crept into the room to switch it off and jumped when she saw Lorelai sitting on the couch.

"You're grounded" Se said quietly. Rory didn't say anything.

"Where have you been?"

"With a friend" Her voice was like a child's, small, meek.

"You were with _him_" It wasn't a question.

"Yes"

"God Rory! Why do you persist with this! You've never acted like this before! You're out of control!" Rory stopped herself from laughing just in time.

"Yes well going to visit a friend is extreme, isn't it mom?"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that! And that _monster _is not a friend! He's dangerous!"

"You don't know him!"  
"I don't know you! Not anymore! Where did my daughter go?" Rory put her hands over her ears.

"You are going to listen to this Rory!"

"No!"  
"If I find you're with him again I will call the police and then he'll be in more trouble than he already is" That was what did it, that was what hit home. Rory fell silent and Lorelai looked defeated anyway.

"Go to bed"

"Mom…"

"I said go to bed" Rory turned and made her way to her room. Jay met her there.

"I don't want to talk about it Jay"

"Why are you being like this Ror? Are you and he…?"

"No"

"Well then why? You've never been like this" She turned to him as she opened her bedroom door.

"He needs somebody to believe in him and stand by him and last time I checked, there were no other applicant's for that role" She said quietly.

"I'm going to bed"

* * *

A little while later there was a knock on the door. Rory sat up in bed as Lorelai let herself into the room. Rory sighed and Lorelai raised her arms in self-defense.

"I just want to talk…sanely" Rory snorted.

"Since when have you and I ever talked sanely mom?" Lorelai shrugged but laughed as well.

"Can I sit?" She asked quietly, patting the edge of Rory's bed. Rory shrugged and Lorelai sat down.  
"I'm sorry…about downstairs. It's just that I was looking in on you and your brother and you weren't there. I panicked, and I know that you think this boy is innocent…" Rory opened her mouth to interrupt but Lorelai held up her hand.

"Let me finish…but I can't help - as a mother when _this _has happened – imagining you dead in a gutter somewhere. You have no idea how relieved I was when I heard the car in the driveway. How far my heart sunk when I thought it could have been the police…" Rory's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry mom" Lorelai was silent but held her arms open and Rory crawled into them like a baby.

"You really believe he's innocent don't you?" Lorelai asked.

"I really do mom"

"But you barely know him" Rory shook her head.

"That's what you don't understand mom…I don know him. I knew everything I needed to do in one moment" Lorelai raised her eyebrows and Rory sighed.

"We went to a coffee shop, a bunch of us, from school and Liz and Tristan were there. There just this moment when he looked at her…it was like she was the only person he'd ever laid eyes on. I've never seen anyone look at another person like that mom. He loved her, he still loves her, probably even more than she loved him. He couldn't have done anything to hurt her. I know that" Lorelai looked dubious.

"I just want you to be careful…not be alone with him, certainly not sneaking out at night to be with him"

"Okay"

"Okay?"

"Yes, okay, I won't sneak out again. But I still have to be there for him mom. He's all alone, his friends deserted him, his parents are overseas, his…"

"His parents are _overseas_!" Rory nodded, his eyes huge and crystalline. Lorelai shook her head sadly.

"I'm his friend mom…and I believe him…and there's things I might do, like tonight, that you won't understand. But they're only because I'm standing by him" Lorelai listened, and nodded.

"Just be careful baby"

**AN: _As you can see, Lorelai is starting to come around even if she stll still doesn't believe Tristan's innocence 100. And for anybody wondering about Tristan, as much as he can feel an attraction to Rory, he doesn't want to go there just yet. But hey, he's a teenage guy so don't despair, there'll be plenty more action even if he's resolved there's no gonna be. Don't forget to hit that review button!_**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: _Well everybody seems glad to see Lorelai coming around, you can all thank photobooth romance for that suggestion. And to answer a question I've been asked, Louise lost her virginity to Tristan, not Mike, it was after Mike's parent's moved him away._**

_**Kat86:**_ _Thank you, I think everybody is really starting to get the story now. I was worried that without heaps of TRORY action people wouldn't like it but..._

_**Karah06: **Thank you, thank you, I wanted to make Tristan kind of creepy, so readers might even doubt him. He he he. Glad to see it's working._

_**And finally, thank you to everbody for reading and for those who have added this story to their facourite's lists. You're all awesome!**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own GG, or any other TV show, movie, video game, song etc. coincidentally**

Louise looked over at Rory on Tuesday night. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her hair creating a curtain in front of her, studying. Or at least, she was _pretending _to study. Rory had been mooning around since got back from the weekend and Louise knew why.

Lou and Jay had become closer over the past few weeks. Jay shared her concern about Tristan, and about Rory. He wasn't that interested in school, just like her. They had a lot in common and had become firm friends. He'd told her about Rory sneaking out on the weekend and the fight that had ensued. She decided to say something.

"So Jay said you snuck out on the weekend"

Rory looked up at Louise, furious that her brother would have told her.

"Yes" She admitted, guardedly.

"You went to Tristan's?"

"Yeah I did" Rory said, nodding.

"Did you two…you know?"

Rory was horrified when she realised what Louise was asking.

"God no! I'm a virgin Louise"

"Big surprise" Louise muttered.

Rory narrowed her eyes but laugh anyway. Louise shrugged.

"Hey, l lost _my _virginity to him" She confided and Rory was shocked.

"To Tristan?"

"Yup"

Rory shook her head slowly, God who hadn't slept with him? As if reading Rory's mind Louise said:

"Oh before he and Liz fell so _madly _in love he was the biggest slut around. Even bigger than Madeline…or me!" She added with a giggle and Rory threw a cushion at her. Yet she couldn't shake an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

* * *

"I have to use the computer lab" She told Louise a couple of hours later. She wanted to check her emails. Lane was going to send her the latest song she'd recorded. She slipped a jacket on and made her way downstairs. She told Mrs. Shultz where she was going and made her way out the heavy oak door. The computer labs were in the main school building and were open until 10p.m. Of course you needed a security pass, but Rory had charmed her teachers into giving her one in her first week. She nodded to the other kids there; she didn't know any of them, just their faces. She quickly logged on and downloaded the clip to her mp3 player without listening to it; the rooms were being shut in five minutes. She switched off the computer and walked back towards DuGrey. She cut through the Debelar courtyard and around the side where Finn was having a cigarette.

"Hey Finny!" She called in a singsong voice and he grinned at her.

"Hello gorgeous! What are you doing wandering here-abouts so late at night?"

"It's only 10 o'clock Finn"

He shrugged.

"I was just coming back from the computer labs" She explained. Involuntarily her eyes flicked to Tristan's dormitory window. She saw him at the window and she raised her hand to wave. He didn't seem to see her though; he was on he phone. Finn followed her eyes.

"He seems a bit better lately." He said quietly and Rory nodded.

"It's probably the shock wearing off." She said.

"I think it's got to do with something closer to home," Finn said.

Rory looked at him confusedly but he was just looking at her. She was good for Tristan, Finn had realised, her belief in him, her friendship.

"Well I'd better get back before lights out"

Rory said. Finn nodded and finished her cigarette.

"See you love"

"See you"

She wandered off in the direction of DuGrey, having to make her way through a thin line of trees. She walked slowly, enjoying the cool breeze on her flushed cheeks.

"Hey Rory"

She heard the voice beside her as she neared the thicket, deep, breathy. She jumped and spun around to see Matt laughing.

"Shit Matt! You scared the crap out of me!"

He laughed again, trying to sober up.

"I'm sorry"

She glared at him. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry…really I am. I just couldn't help myself"

She hit him in the shoulder and he jumped back.

"You're an idiot" She hissed. "I thought you were…"

"What? A murderer?"

She paled and he realised what he'd said.

"Rory!"

They both turned at the third voice. It was Tristan.

"Hey Matt" He greeted his occasional roommate.

Matt smiled easily at him.

"Hey Man"

"Rory can I talk to you…alone?"

Rory nodded.

"Are you sure Rory?" Matt asked.

Tristan rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off Freeman, I promise if I'm gonna strangle her I'll call you first so you can come be the hero"

"Tristan!" Rory chided but Matt backed away.

"Whatever man…see you Rory"

"By Matt…what's up Tristan?"

"Did you mean what you said the other night?" He asked her, a sense of urgency to his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm leaving" He said, "I've tracked down Justin"

Rory's heart started to race, her promise that she would go with him. Was she ready to do that?

"Where is he?"

"Out of New York. I'm leaving now. If I don't track him down the police are going to charge me"

"Tristan they won't…"

"Rory! Let me make this clear! If I don't find him and bring him back here, it won't matter whether I'm innocent or guilty or whatever! The DA wants to get somebody for this, think about it, a teenager from the Hartford elite, hacked up in the grounds of the most exclusive boarding school on the east coast. She had a smug, rich boyfriend. They want to make an arrest and I make a great story. You've heard the evidence…"

She put her hand on his chest to silence him.  
"Do you want me to come?"

She wanted to hear the words but he stayed silent. She looked into his stormy blue eyes and somewhere, in their depths, she could see he needed her.

"Give me five minutes, we'll have to take my car" She said; his still hadn't been fixed.

* * *

Her mind was spinning even as she packed her duffel bag. Louise was asleep on her back, her hair splayed on the pillow. Her right arm was flung over her head and she was snoring gently. Rory looked over at her and picked up her cell, dialling her mother's number and getting her message bank.

"Mom, remember on Saturday night and I said there were things I might do that you wouldn't understand. Well this is one of them. I'm going with Tristan, to find someone who could clear his name. He needs me right now. I'll be safe, I promise. Please try to understand"

She hung up the phone and placed a carefully worded letter for Louise on her bedside table. Picking up her car keys and a scarf she sighed, making her way down to the ground-floor, skirting the house mother's desk where Mrs. Shultz was watching the late show, she snuck into the common room again, opening the window and climbing out after her duffel bag. Tristan was waiting by her car. He looked up when he heard the crunch of gravel. She smiled wanly and unlocked the car. They threw their bags into the back seat and climbed in.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. "It could mean expulsion. I can go alone, take your car. You could tell them I stole it"

Her heart was still rattling around her rib cage but her voice was calm when she looked over at his tired, drawn face. She reached for his hand and placed it over her heart.

"Do you feel that?" She whispered, her huge eyes focused on him.

He nodded, his eyes down, not meeting hers. She didn't say anything else. His mouth was set in a grim line but his eyes softened a little as she let go of his hand and turn the ignition key.

* * *

**AN: _Keep reading and reviewing! Let me know what yu think of this latest development? Will they find Justin? Did he do it? Stay tuned for more Detective Corry and a very pissed off Mr. Jenkins and Lorelai. As well as Rory and Tristan goin cross-country...or...er...state._**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: _Hey, hope everyone's till enjoing the story! __Oh and to avoid confudion, Italics are either a flashback, letter or thoughts. I hope it's clear enough which._**

**Disclaimer: hese things are so stupid but to humour the law- I don't own _GG_**

Louise woke late the next morning. She cursed under her breath; she wouldn't have time for breakfast. She glanced over at Rory's bed. _The Cow! _She thought, _She didn't even wake me!_ It wasn't until she had showered that she saw the folded piece of paper on her bedside table. She opened it up.

_Dear Louise,_

_I'll be brief. I've gone with Tristan to find someone who might be able to close Liz's case. I know you'll think I'm being rash and stupid but I know what I'm doing. Can you please tell Jay? I know you'll be mad at me but I had to do this. We won't be gone long, only a few days. _

_Thank you, and I'm sorry,_

_Rory_

Louise's eyes widened and before she really knew what she was doing she was pounding down the stairs and running towards the school building. Jay stood out the front with Matt and Finn.

"Jay!" She cried.

He turned to look at her and grinned.

"Lollie, hey"

She grabbed his arm ragging him away.

"Sorry guys," She said, "but I need to talk to him"

Matt and Finn shrugged.

"What's up Lou?" Jay asked, she looked upset.

"It's Rory"

Jay's face darkened.

"What about her?" He asked.

"She' run away…with Tristan"

"What!" Jay exclaimed.

Louie handed him the note. He read it quickly.

"Oh shit!" He cried, kicking the ground so a tuft of grass flew up.

Louise watched him grimly.

"What are we going to do?" Louise asked.

"First of all, think of something to tell the teachers before she gets her ass expelled"

"I think that's the least of our worries" Louise whispered.

Lorelai rang her message service the next morning, smiling when she heard Rory's voice, but the smile soon faded as the message went on.

"Mom, remember on Saturday night and I said there were things I might do that you wouldn't understand. Well this is one of them. I'm going with Tristan, to find someone who could clear his name. He needs me right now. I'll be safe, I promise. Please try to understand"

_Oh God, _Lorelai thought, _what has she done?_

Jay's cell rang as he and Louise made their way to their first class after fetching her books from her room.

"Oh great," He said to Louise, "It's mom…hey mom" He said, flipping open his cell.

"Jay have you seen your sister?" _What should he say? _

"Um…not this morning no…" He shrugged at Louise.

"Well she left a message on my cell last night saying she was running off with Tristan, is her car at school" came Lorelai's strained voice down the line.

Jay's eyes widened and he covered the mouthpiece, turning to talk to Louise.

"Rory left a message on mom's cell telling her she was going with Tristan, what should I say?"

"That she did go, duh" Louise replied in the same loud whisper.

"Jay?" Lorelai was crying.

Jay uncovered the mouthpiece.

"I'm here mom," He said, "with Louise…um…Rory left her a note…she…she'd gone mom, they took her car. Louise said it must have been late last night"

Lorelai started crying.

"Mom, mom it'll be okay" He said, trying to soothe her. "Mom, we have to think about what to tell people. She said in her letter to Louise that they'd only be gone a few days. Perhaps we should give the school some excuse" He suggested. "Otherwise she could be expelled when she gets back"  
"Jay," Lorelai said, through gritted teeth. "You know I can't do that, we have to tell the authorities they're missing. Being expelled is the least of Rory's problems at the moment"

"But Tristan could be in more trouble" Jay said half-heartedly.

"And Tristan DuGrey is the least of my problems at the moment" Lorelai finished. Her tears had been replaced by a kind of calm fury.

She told Jay to go to class like normal. She was calling the school, the police, Tristan's grandparents and his lawyer.

* * *

Rory had driven through the night to get some distance between them and Hartford. Tristan watched her from the passenger seat. Every street lamp they drove under splashed light across her face, dancing off her cute nose and her lips…He closed his eyes but couldn't keep them closed for long, couldn't deprive them of her. How was he feeling this so soon after Liz? He shook his head, it was nothing, just an attraction. It was completely natural, she was beautiful anyway, and plus, she had been his rock ever since the day they had found Liz. He would be attracted to a lamppost who had shown half as much kindness and compassion…right? She glanced over at him, catching his eye and smiled reassuringly.

"Perhaps we should stop somewhere," She suggested, "you know, refuel, get some coffee, food…sleep?"

He laughed.

"The next town we reach" He promised.

The next town was dead. It was still the early hours of the morning. Rory looked over at Tristan questioningly. He shrugged.

"We'll see if there's a motel," He told her, "and there'll be somewhere open to get food"

Soon enough they passed a service station, which stocked a few, limited groceries. Tristan picked up some coffee, donuts, a couple of burgers and some chips while Rory filled the car with petrol.

"The guy told me there's a motel round the corner" He said as he walked towards the car.

Rory nodded.

"Cool"

The motel was a cheap one, but it was clean, and comfortable. They got a room together.

"We can share the bed" Tristan said, "…uh, as long as you don't have a problem with that?"

**(AN: _I hate in some TRORY's where Tristan and Rory end up pussy-footing around actually sleeping in the same bed together. I mean God, it's just sharing a bed, not wild animalistic sex)_**

Rory just shook her head as she went into the bathroom to change into a pair of track pants and a singlet for bed. Tristan showered once she was finished. When he came out of the bathroom she sitting at the small desk brushing her hair. The coffee-coloured curtain tumbled gently over her shoulder and down her delicate back. Where the light bounced off it shone a brilliant gold. He caught his breath. She heard him and turned, laughing at his pyjamas. They were blue and grey plaid flannel pyjama pants and he was wearing a blue wife-beater with them.

"What?" He asked, hurt.

"Nothing, it's just, you're the first I've ever met who actually wears pyjamas"

He smiled tiredly at her.

"I'm going to sleep Ror"

"Yeah, me too"

They climbed into the bed together, both lying on their backs.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this" He said.

She laughed.

"No you're not, you didn't sound t all sorry just then"

He shrugged.

"I thought I should say that"

She leaned on her elbow, pushing herself up.

"You didn't. You didn't have to say that"

He nodded silently.

* * *

**RORY'S POV**

It was a couple of hours later when Rory woke up. During their short sleep she and Tristan had moved against each other and his arm was around her. She blushed furiously and was glad she was the only one up. Gently she tried to lift his arm and wriggle out from under him but he just sort of growled and pulled her back closer to him.

"Liz" He whispered and Rory froze.

She tried again to wriggle free from his embrace.

"Liz come back here" He mumbled, pulling her close. He was half-awake now and his lips pressed against her shoulder in a soft kiss.

"I'm not Liz" She said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not Liz, Tristan" Her voice was louder this time. He woke up fully then.

"Rory?"

"Yes, me Rory" She said sarcastically, pointing to herself. She finally moved free of his arms. "I'm not Liz"

"No, you're not" He said and Rory paled, hearing the wistful note in his voice. _Of course I'm not Liz, _she thought bitterly, _I could never measure up to Liz, so beautiful, so poised, so popular, smart, funny, beloved by all. _She finally came back to her senses. What was she thinking?

"I'm sorry I woke you up" She whispered, curling into a ball on her side and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Rory I'm sorry" Tristan said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay" She mumbled, _I'll just have to get used to being a consolation prize._

* * *

**TRISTAN'S POV**

Liz was trying to move away from him. She did that, when she had to get back to her dorm. He hated that, that sneaking away. He pulled her closer but her voice, when she spoke, wasn't Liz's.

"I'm not Liz" Her voice came to him softly, as though from a dream.

"Hmm?" He scrunched his eyes shut tighter.

"I'm not Liz, Tristan" The voice was louder this time and he was jolted awake completely. Of course it wasn't Liz in his arms, Liz was gone. It was Rory now.

"Rory?"

"Yes, me Rory" She pointed to herself as she reiterated who, indeed, she was. She threw his arm off her. "I'm not Liz"

"No, you're not" Tristan said before he could stop himself. He mentally slapped himself. She was right, she wasn't Liz, would Liz have done this for him? Somehow, as much as he loved her, he doubted it. Liz had been cautious, not dispassionate, but definitely not rash like he and Roy had been lately.

"I'm sorry I woke you up" She said as she curled into a ball on her side. _What had he said? _

"Rory, I'm sorry" He said, patting her shoulder.

"It's okay" She mumbled. _No, it wasn't, nothing was all right at the moment. Liz had been the love of his life. But then this girl had come along, had shown more passion in the past few weeks than he'd ever seen before. Nothing was all right. _

**AN: _My ex used to wear that for pyjamas adhe made it look so cute. Come to think of it he had gorgeous blue eyes as well...maybe it was just the eyes. Ooh and I have a new fic called "It's Only the Idea" check it out if you can. And remember to R&R!_**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: _Hey again guys, I know a sai a couple of chapters ago that I wouldn't be updating for a while but I couldn't help myself. I thought it would start getting harder now but I keep getting ideas. Okay, so alot of readers now seem to be suspecting Matt...Tristan's occasional roommate. Perhaps he was sick of having to go sleep in the common room when Liz was playing sleepover with Tristan? Big question though, I'll put it to poll, originally I was going to leave it open in the end and nev have it found out who the killer was. But would you guys prefer to know who did it? Let me know!_**

_**hoazin:** Thank you so much for you're fantastic review!_

_**Karah06:** Thank you so much! Don't worry, you'll soon be finding out why Summer hates Tristan. And I'm glad you liked the bit where he mistook her for Liz!_

_**LoVe23:** You're awesome! I'm glad the computer lab scene worked, or at least, the scene where she was gng back to DuGrey building. I was tryin to make it a little creepy._

_**nk-number1actress:** To you and to anyone else who was wondering, I'm from Australia, and we call tank-tops and wife-beaters "singlets" I keep forgetting about that one. Sorry ;)_

_**i die without you: **I'm glad this is striking a chord with you. Nobody's trusting my instincts at the moment either, although it's over relatively trivial crap. Namely, I've decided, after three years at university, that I don't want to be a journalist and mum is entertaining all sorts of crazy fantasies about me becoming a stripper something instead. Keep reading sweets!_

_**To everyone who's reviewing thank you so much! And thank you to everyone who's checked out "It's Only the Idea"**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG - _duh!**

When Tristan woke up he was alone in the bed. He looked over at the desk where Rory sat, gazing out the window, her head cupped in her hand. He checked his watch, it was nearly mid-day, and he'd slept in.

Rory turned when she heard the rustle of the sheets. She had been awake for a couple of hours but hadn't woken him up. She needed to be alone; it was surprising how you could feel that you were even with another person, especially _him _so close by. _Why was she so upset that he'd called her "Liz"? _She wondered, _did she even have the right to be that upset?_

"Good morning" She said quietly and he froze on his way to the bathroom.

Turning he gave her a weak smile.

"Hey, I slept in…sorry"

She smiled back. She had been watching him sleep, his face peaceful for the first time sin they'd gotten the news, his eyelids flickering softly as h dreamed. _God, _she'd thought, _she liked him, she really did. What was she going to do?_

"That's okay, go, shower, then we'll get breakfast and talk about what's next"

He nodded and made his way into the bathroom.

* * *

Lorelai had been tapping her foot nervously for the past few minutes. She checked her watch again. It was 11:30 a.m. She was sitting in the Hartford Police Station with Janlen DuGrey and they family's lawyer, Mr. Jenkins who's introduced himself as Carl. They had a meeting with the Detective in charge of Liz's case at 11. She sighed heavily but as she did the door opened and an officer beckoned them into an interview room. The Detective was tall, well built with a shock of red hair and strange face. Lorelai couldn't quite put her finger on it…maybe it was that his nose was too wide. Mr. Jenkins was incredibly jittery from the coffee he'd been downing like free scotch at open bar all morning.

"You terrified the boy" He told the detective after the introductions.

"Are you implying that I threatened him? He was never charged" The detective replied. Carl Jenkins rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, you implied to Tristan that you would and you upset Miss Gilmore"

"Wait," Lorelai interjected, "you met my baby?" Carl stepped in.

"Rory was…present, during the last interview with Tristan, on Saturday night"  
"Oh God" Lorelai whispered.

"I can assure you Mr. DuGrey, Mrs. Gilmore-Hayden, Mr. Jenkins, that the Hartford Police Department is doing everything they can to locate the minor's but as we have no idea where they're headed and they've been missing so short a time there's very little we can do"

"So what am I supposed t do?" Lorelai asked bitterly, "Sit at home and twiddle my damn thumbs?"

"Mrs. Gilmore-Hayden, I promise you that when we have the first inkling of a development, you and Mr. DuGrey will be the first to know"

Lorelai shrugged and reached for her bag. It was clear that this meeting was over. She and Janlen made their way out of the interview room. Carl Jenkins paused at the door and turned to Detective Corry,

"Detective Corry, let me assure you, that if anything happens to hose kids, I and the entire Hartford society will be holding you personally responsible" He said quietly, his voice menacing.

* * *

Rory and Tristan sat opposite each other across the pale pink laminex table in a near-by diner. Each was trying to survey the other without making it obvious. Rory stared hard at the table.

"Where to next?" She asked quietly.

"Albany" He replied curtly.

"Albany?"

"Yeah I got onto an old friend of his. Stupid girl didn't know not to answer questions about Justin _fucking _Bellevue. I just mentioned Liz's name and she was only to happy to tell me his new address" His voice was hard, his eyes dark. It was time like this that she was…frightened of him? She shrank away from him and he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Jesus Christ Rory!" He snapped. "When are you gonna stop being scared of me"

She blinked slowly and nonchalantly and put down her coffee mug.

"We should probably get going" She suggested.

"Fine, I'll meet you at the car"

She stood next to her car waiting for him. _What was she doing here? _She thought. They had crossed the state border early that morning but they were taking the backroads and staying off the highways. Se closed her eyes; the tension of the past few weeks was building up behind them in the beginning of a mind-splitting headache. Rory's midnight blue BMW wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Taking out her cell she slowly dialled Jay's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Rory are you okay?"

She sighed heavily, leaning against the car. _Was she okay? _She didn't think so, not anymore. _Why had she followed him?_ Finally she answered.

"Hi Jay"

"Rory where are you?"

"Interstate" She replied.

"Interstate? _Interstate? _Where he hell are you going?"

"We're trying to find someone…answers"

"Answers? What if he did it Rory?"

"Jay" Her voice was a warning in itself.

"Well what if he did?"

"I don't know" she sighed. "Can you tell mom and Louise I'm okay, and that we'll be back in a few days?" Without waiting for an answer she hung up as Tristan walked towards the car. He smiled warily at her and she smiled tentatively back.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

He nodded and they climbed into the car.

* * *

Jay stared at the phone in his hands. He and Louise were sitting in Debalar's ground-floor common room.

"She said she's fine, that they're interstate…looking for someone…for answers" He said hollowly.

"I'm sure she'll be fine" Louise said, trying to comfort him, she patted his shoulder gently. She and Jay had become much closer over the past few weeks. They had a lot in common and most importantly; he treated her so nicely. He was just nice, and that was good for her. He smiled half-heartedly at her and she smiled back. Matt walked into the common room then.

"Hey guys…what's up?" He asked when he saw their faces.

"Nothing Matt…" Jay replied slowly.

Louise avoided looking at him. Her relationship with Matt was…strained, since Mike. Instead of blaming Tristan, he had blamed her.

"Hey _Louie_" He greeted her and she gasped softly.

_Louie _was Mike's pet name for her. She glared at Matt who just met her gaze levelly. Jay noticed the tension but ignored it; he had heavier things on his mind right now. He patted Louise gently on the knee,

"I'm gonna go call mom" He told her, and walked out of the common room.

"So _Louie, _how's things? We don't get to talk much anymore" Matt said, he was leaning against the counter drinking a soda he'd helped himself to from the fridge. She glared at him again.

"Well there's a very good reason for that _Matt,_" She said sweetly as she uncurled herself from the couch and made her way to the door, "you're an asshole".

In a second he was by her side. He grasped her forearm in a death-grip.

"And you're a fucking bitch" He hissed menacingly. She looked up into his eyes, his grey eyes, once she'd thought they were nice but they were cold, like gunmetal.

"You might have them fooled, Jay and Mike – although it wouldn't be hard to fool him anymore would it _Louie?_ – But I know the truth. I know you're nothing but a dirty little slut like every other girl here" Her eyes filled with tears as Jay reentered the room. Matt dropped her arm like it was red hot and sauntered back to the bench.

"You okay Lollie?" Jay asked her and she nodded miserably, tugging her jump sleeve down.

"Come, on" He suggested, "I'll take you into town for a coffee"

"Okay" She agreed, letting him lead her from the room.

* * *

They had driven through the outer suburbs of New York City. In another life Rory would have driven straight into city, maxed out her father's credit cards on antique books and gone back to the five-star motel they would have been staying at. But instead she and Tristan were driving north through the back roads chasing the Hudson River to Albany.

"Do you want to keep driving tonight or stop somewhere?" She asked him.

"I guess we should stop somewhere" He suggested.

As much as he wanted to get to Albany and get this all over with, he wanted another night with Rory. Once they found Justin things would move too fast, he wanted one more night to be able to talk to her.

They stopped for the night in a large town called Echuca and found a motel on the edge of a scenic lake. It wasn't as cheap as the one the night before but it was more comfortable and they had a spa in their room, which cheered Rory up a little. She went shopping at the local market and bought bubble bath. Tristan didn't have the heart to remind just then that neither of them had brought swim-suits, it hadn't been that sort of road-trip.

Rory led the way into the room and sighed in relief when she saw there were two beds, _thank God, _she thought as she dragged her duffel bed next to one of them and sat down.

"Are you hungry?" Tristan asked her.

She laughed:

"When am I not?"

He smiled.

"There was a Mexican restaurant down the road…sound okay?" He asked and she nodded, her headache was starting to dissipate.

* * *

They walked back to the motel after having dinner.

"What are you going to do when we find him?" Rory finally asked, breaking the silence.

Tristan shrugged.

"I don't know. I want to see if he know why I'm there, find out if he did it and kill him"

"Tristan be serious…I mean, how do you expect to get him back to Connecticut against his will. I doubt he'll come with us of his own accord and you can't exactly club him on the head and put him in the trunk of my car"

"Why not?" He asked.

Rory snuck a glance in his direction. She hated it when he was like this. When she first knew him it had been easy to tell when he joking around. He had worn his emotions for all to see, he didn't have any masks. But now he hid everything behind inches of steel. She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her.

"Are you cold?" he asked, without waiting for a response he put his arm around her shoulders and she let him pull her closer to his warmth.

* * *

When they got back to the motel she sat on the bed she'd claimed as her own while he stood in front of the TV, flicking through the channels.

"I'm sorry again about this morning," He finally said,

"It's okay," She said half-heartedly.

"It's not though…is it?"

She shrugged and he crouched down to be at her level. She bit her lip,

"I'm sorry too…that you lost Liz. I don't think I've properly said that before now. I'm sorry you lost her…especially like that. And I'm sorry for what's happened since"

"Hey," He whispered, tracing his finger down her cheek. "You don't have to be sorry for that"

She looked away for a moment, looking into those eyes now was almost physically painful.

"Well then, we're both sorry for things out of our control…aren't we?"

He laughed ruefully and sat down at the foot of the bed, with his back to her.

"We're pretty fucked up aren't we?"

"I don't think it's us" She said quietly, "I think it's everything that's happened that's fucked up. You and I actually seem pretty sane and rational in comparison"

He snorted,

"Yeah, going on a road-trip to find my murdered girlfriend's abusive ex"

Rory shrugged and subconsciously ran her fingers through his hair.

"But see, you're describing circumstances…not us"

He realised he'd been holding his breath since he'd felt her fingers tangled in his hair.

"Okay…I'll try again," He said quietly, moving to sit next to her on the bed. He turned to face her,

"My girlfriend was murdered a few weeks ago…the love of my life. And I can already feel myself becoming more and more attracted to another girl" As he spoke his voice became huskier and he moved his hand to cup her cheek. She leant into his palm.

"That's pretty fucked up isn't it?"

She shook her head.

"What about me?" She asked quietly,

"What about you?"

"Well…I'm the good girl, the Mary…I've only had one boyfriend one very…safe boyfriend. And a few weeks I transferred to a new school and this horrible thing happened. And I was one of the few who stuck by the King as he toppled from his pedestal. And now I'm driving him to confront his murdered girlfriend's abusive ex. Yet all I can think about clearly is the way his eyelids flicker when he's asleep…or that drunken kiss on the football field. I think that's more fucked up" She looked up at him, biting her lip.

"I don't know" He whispered, moving closer to her. "I think we're matching each other at the moment"

She laughed nervously but within a second he had silence her, pressing his lips against hers. Her heart started to beat faster as his arm snaked around her back to pull her closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth for him and his tongue found hers. _This was no innocent kiss between friends,_ she thought to herself as he pulled off her light cardigan and laid her back on the bed.

He leaned over her, supporting himself on his elbow, his lips found her throat and were tracing kisses across it while his right hand had found its way under her tank top and was tracing circles across her stomach. Somehow, without her breath and with her mind somewhere outside spinning around in the sky he managed to find her voice,

"Did you kill her?" Rory asked. He ignored her question, his lips still trailing across her throat.

"Did you kill her?" She asked again, louder this time. She raised her hand to touch his hair. He stared down at her; his hand had stopped its trail across her flat stomach. They stared at each other, unsmiling. In the back of her mind again was the intensity of those eyes. His hand began to move again - making her draw in her breath quickly - touching her skin softly as it made its way to her throat where he wrapped his delicate fingers around it.

"Yes" His answer was confident, sober. He smirked as he leant down to kiss her, his eyes cold,his full lips crushing hers and his grip on her throat tightening. When the kiss ended he leant back again. "Now I'll have to kill _you_" He was still gripping her throat. She felt an insane panic rip through her. He could see it in her eyes, she knew he could, just like she could see the laughter in his. Then he smiled at her, a real smile, with no trace of that arrogant smirk. And as quickly as it had begun he let her go.

"I didn't kill her Rory, I _loved _her" He whispered against her lips.

And she let him kiss her.

**AN: _What did you think of that? R&R! Oh, and th town, Echuca, I doubt it actually exists in New York, it's the town I grew up in Australia!_**


	14. AN: My turn

**Hate to do this to you, just wanted to clear a few things up for anybody who might be confused:**

1. This story is _incomplete_ – therefor nothing is certain, especially the characterisation.

2. I am writing an average of two chapters a day to try and get this thing up and posted for the readers who don't have the disposition to bitch and whinge, and occasionally, in the pursuit of this challenge I've set myself, I make typing errors.

3. A "jump sleeve" is _obviously _a "jumper sleeve" with the –e and the –r left off…by accident (and yes I realise there was not need to use an elipsis there, call me a masochist)

4. Rory had her phone on when she called Jay, I never said she left it on.

5. Tristan and Rory have not found Justin, I don't even know if they are _going _to find Justin and if they do there is nothing to indicate Tristan will do anything "illegal" to him, apart from a bad-taste joke made by Tristan on the walk back from dinner. And anyway, Rory was the one who pretty muc insisted to a lonely guy ho wasn't going to turn her away, that he g with him. He's eighteen years old for Christ's sake, of course he's contradictory.

6. I use "elipses" liberally to denote when a character is struggling to say something, or pausing for a breath. I find that readers can understand more the mood of character speaking and I am using them according to Australian standards.

7. I am Australian so I don't know a damned thing about New York City. And I have occasionally used colloquialisms you may not understand. For those of you wondering, "I got onto an old friend of his" translates to: "I managed to find the phone number of an old friend of his, and call her, and guess what? She answered!".

8. Tristan's "joke" at the end, wasn't a joke at all. The Tristan that I have "created" is incredibly confused fucked up by his own admission, and definitely not thinking straight with Rory Gilmore underneath him. He's sick of people suspecting him but never coming out and asking him and also, he wants to put his "Mary" to the ultimate test of loyalty for a few seconds. I tend to be very subtle in my writing, it's why I was never a great debater at high school.

9. This is a fan fiction, they're not exactly known for their great writing skills.

10. I don't take grammar advice from people who were in such a rush to tear me down that they misspelled the following:

Beucase - _Because_

Insiead - _Instead_

Increidbly -_Incredibly_

And neglected to capitalise proper nouns.

11. Before anybody jumps down my throat, just because readers are predominantly American I will not change my spelling of certain things, if I don't do it for spell check, I'm not doingit for this story, therefor the following applies:

Analyse _not _Analyze

Colour _not _Color

Grey _not _Gray

Neighbour_ not_ Neighbor etc.

12. Finally, I'm sorry that I have h to have this very public bitch. I really a glad that people are reading my story and giving constructive advice it's just that old adage, "too much of a good thing". It's 5 a.m. here, I can't sleep and it's sort of disappointing to see the only review you've got is picking apart your last chapter until it's skin and crappy bones.

**I hope I haven't scared you all off with that. The next chapter will be up as soon as I figure out where in the hell Albany is and work out how many elipses I should allow myself ;)**

**Ciao,**

**Skeleton-Leaf**

**xxoo**


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: _Wow! I'm really overwhelmed by everbody's support over the past couple of days. Thank you so much! You've all really picked me up and dusted me off I was worried after I posted that that everyone would be pissed off but you're all awesomely amazing instead. As you could probably tell, I was late with this update. I'm really hoping it does't become habit and it's nothing to do with the story, I know exactly where I'm taking it. It's purely a time mangement conflict, namely with the essay about Nazi Skinhead Culture and how it's affected the Far Right since 1945 - thrilling huh? - that's 5 weeks overdu! There's too many people to thank and I have to go and get an essay ready for tomorrow, so I'll be brief:_**

_**I love you all!**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything -especially _GG_**

They had been making out for what seemed like hours, his soft lips working against hers, when the voice in Rory's mind started screaming. _What are you doing? _It cried from its position on the moral high ground. She squirmed beneath him, not wanting to pull away from his lips but knowing, in some far corner, that for her own sanity she had to. She finally placed her tiny hands against her chest, pushing him back. He shrank away from her, drawing into a tight ball at the end of the bed, his face unreadable after the few second of raw emotion that flashed across it.

"Why did you say that?" She asked quietly as she pulled further away from him.

He looked at her miserably, pulling himself to his knees.

"I'm so sorry Mary," He whispered, rocking slightly. "I'm so sorry".

From her position at the end of the bed she stared at him. She found herself doing that a lot lately. Before she'd known him she'd just glanced at people, face value was enough, but now, now she understood. He looked so pitiful, his face flushed, drawn as small as he could make himself, his eyes stormy and busy as they flicked restlessly around the room, hovering anywhere but on her. She slowly moved to put her arms around him but he shrank back again.

"You believe me though," He whispered, as though he couldn't comprehend it, "for a moment you believed me".

She knelt across from him, her rational mind wanting to scream that he had grabbed her by the throat! Threatened her! But she could never say things like that, not anymore.

"How could they believe that about me?" He asked her, for the first time, meeting her eyes.

How could he do this? How could she feel this, so meaningless and helpless? Completely without any answers to soothe or sedate. He looked up at her expectantly.

"Don't look at me like that," She pleaded with him, "I can't tell you anything, I can't make you feel better. I can't…" Tears filled her eyes.

He touched her hand softly where it lay on the bed next to her.

"You really care," It wasn't a question, not much of a statement.

She met his gaze defiantly, as if daring him to challenge why she should.

They spent the rest of the night in silence. They had sat on the bed in an awkward silence that was somehow comfortable, at least it was something they shared.

"We should go to bed," Rory finally said, "We've got to get to Albany tomorrow"

He had just accepted her, as though she was his mother. As she lay in her bed in the dark, trying to ignore the memories of those lips, she realised he hadn't answered her question. _Why had he said it? Why had he said he 'loved' Liz, and not the he still 'loves' her?_

She had watched him closely since they left. Each day he was becoming more and more withdrawn, ferreting away other facets of himself, of the guy he'd been before Liz. Rory smiled bitterly to herself in the darkness. All these weeks her mother had been warning her away from Tristan because she thought he was dangerous. She had been right; he was, but not in the way Lorelai had assumed. No, Rory knew that the spiral she had more than willingly followed him down into was far more dangerous than any physical threat.

* * *

Jay found his mother sitting in the coffee shop near Chilton the next morning. She had had another meeting with the detective's, but nothing had turned up about Rory's car although police in all the bordering states were looking out for it. It was relatively common knowledge around the school now that Rory and Tristan had run away, although all the whispering was done behind hands. Lorelai was bent over the table, looked haggard as she gripped her coffee mug tightly.

"I'm not even angry," She told Jay and Louise, who'd come with him. Lorelai laughed strangely. Her voice was calm, monotonous. "Not at all…I just want her home, I want things back to normal"

Louise's eyes were round and sad; they seemed to be that way a lot these days. She knew how Lorelai felt, but she didn't think things were ever going back to normal.

When the cell phone rang on the table none of them noticed it at first, all lost in their own thoughts. Lorelai laughed nervously when she realised it was hers.

"Hello"

"Mom?"

"Baby?" She cried, causing half the occupants of the coffee shop to jump.

* * *

Rory laughed nervously on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, it's me"

"Where are you?" Her mother cried in anguish. Rory sighed, _what could it hurt?_

"We're in New York…the state, not the city. We're going to see someone Liz and Tristan knew who could clear his name, get him out of trouble"

"And what about you?"

"What?" Rory asked.

"Oh Rory…" Her mother's last words came out as a pained whisper, and Rory's eyes burned with unspilled tears "What about the trouble you're in?"

Rory didn't say anything.

"Rory you've cut school, Janlen and I have spent the last couple of days pleading for them to keep you in…we've had t report you missing to the police…they're looking for your car…"

"Mom, mom…" Rory broke in, feeling the panic rise in her. "I have to go" Without waiting to hear anything else, she hung up.

* * *

In the coffee shop, Lorelai stared at the phone as though it were a snake that had bitten her.

* * *

They reached Albany around mid-day and found Justin's house.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Rory asked as they climbed out of the car. It was a tiny, run-down Californian bungalow. Tristan smirked at her and rolled his eyes.

"I never said Justin was society," He told her, "Hartford does have a middle class you know"

She blushed as they approached the door.

"Liz was his uptown girl," He said in a growl and Rory looks over at him. As Tristan was about to knock on the door Rory panicked and grabbed his arm.

"What if he did do it?" She asked him, "He'd be dangerous"

"He'd want to be" Tristan replied menacingly.

A girl answered it; she must have been about fourteen or fifteen.

"Yeah?" She asked sullenly.

"Is Justin home?" Tristan asked.

The girl laughed then shook head.

"No, he's not, he took off a few weeks ago. I don't know where, but mom said he'll show up when he gets hungry, like a dog" With that she looked Rory up and down and slammed the door.

Rory looked warily at Tristan, worried he'd lose his temper, but instead he just looked defeated.

"So this is it?" She asked.

Tristan slowly shook his head.

"It can't be…it all fit"

Rory touched his shoulder and slowly they started to walk away from the house. Rory heard the screen door open and slap closed again but she didn't turn until she heard the male voice.

"What're you doing here DuGrey?"

Tristan froze-mid-step. Slowly, he spun on his heel to confront Justin Bellevue who stood on his front porch in a sweatshirt and jeans.

"The girl said you'd taken off," Tristan said.

Justin shrugged and lit a cigarette. Rory studied him, he was cute, she could understand what Liz had seen in him, she had had good taste. His hair was medium brown and longish. It was an out-dated hairstyle, the type high school boys sported when Hanson and the Backstreet Boys were popular, but on him it suited. He looked; she cocked her head, a little like the guy from the O.C, the one that got drunk and died…what was his name…_Johnny! _That was it.

"My sister," He explained, "that's what I tell her to tell people" He started slowly down the steps of the porch, Tristan sort of nodded. "So? What are you doing here DuGrey?" His eyes flicked to Rory and she looked at the ground. "You and Liz break up?"

Rory felt Tristan tense beside her.

"No…it's about Liz that I'm here"

Justin's face clouded over.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?"

Tristan laughed ruefully.

"She's dead," He said simply and Rory started at the finality of that statement.

Justin didn't say anything, just drew back on his cigarette and stubbed it out.

"I need a drink" He announced.

* * *

There was a bar no far from his house. Obviously he was a regular, they weren't ID'd and he greeted the guy behind the bar with familiarity. While they waited for their drinks Tristan told him quietly what had happened. Justin lit another cigarette.

"Why are you here?" Justin finally asked, he'd be silent until then. "You think I did it?" Tristan just stared at him. Rory jumped as Justin's pounded his fist on the table they'd sat down at. But as quickly as it had flared the anger died and clarity shone in his grey eyes. "They think it's you don't they?" A look of won crossed his face while Tristan's stayed like stone. Justin laughed cruelly and smirked at Rory who narrowed her eyes at him.

"So what, you thought you'd come here, get me to confess and drag me back to Babylon?" Justin asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Give me a fucking break" with that he walked off in the other direction, leaving his drink unfinished. Rory looked over at Tristan, he looked gutted.

"I'm going to the bathroom," She said quietly, not waiting for a response.

The toilets were down a hallway and when she entered it she saw Justin, leaning with his head against the rough stones wall. He turned when he heard her and tried to smile but his red eyes betrayed him. He could be as cocky as he liked back in the bar but not here, now.

"That must've been hard for you," She said.

"Yea it was"

"Tristan's taken it hard"

"I'll bet…has he told you about Liz and I?"

Rory nodded slowly.

"God, I thought she was perfect," He sad, turning to lean his back against the wall now. "We met at a party and she was…incredible…until she started to tell the lies"

"Lies?" Roy asked.

"Tristan didn't tell you? About how I "attacked" her" He pushed back his hair and showed her the deep scar on his forehead. "That's what he did when she told him. It was at a party, her precious Tristan wasn't supposed to be there. We were upstairs and Sum came up to tell her Tristan had shown up. We fought, I told her she had to choose and right in front of me she bangs her head against the wall and rips her shi. She turned around to look at me and she was crying then she ran off. Next thing I know he's flipped and smashed the beer mug on my face." He took a deep breath, "You know the most pathetic thing"?

Rory shook her head and he laughed.

"Seventeen stitches later I was still in love with her"

Rory was looking at him in horror.

"She lied about that?"

"Liz lied about a lot of things" His nonchalance was returning and he shrugged.

"Like what?"

"Like where she was when she wasn't with _him_. We didn't break up that night," He told her, "she showed up at my place the next day in tears. She was _sorry, _and we saw each other behind his back until a couple of months ago when I moved here."

Rory gasped.

"Oh God"

"Yeah"

"You know how that looks don't you?"

"Of course I do…does Tristan know?"

"He hasn't said anything to me"

"Will you tell him"

_How could she? _She shook her head.

When she got back to the table Justin and Tristan were waiting for her.

"Are you ready to go?" Tristan asked.

She nodded. They walk back to Justin's house. When they got there Justin looked Tristan in the eye.

"I'm really sorry man"

Tristan nodded.

"It was nice to meet you Rory,"

She smiled at him and he made his way inside while they climbed into the car.

"You didn't accuse him," Rory said as she started the car.

Tristan turned to her.

"I didn't have to, I knew as soon as I saw him…he's me"

* * *

They drove through Albany and back the way they'd come. They would stay in Echuca again and then be home the next day. Rory had been sitting, trying to read a magazine for ages. Tristan had gone for a walk, but that had been forty ms before. She shrugged her coat on. She found him on the small jetty of the lake the motel back onto. He stood at the very edge just staring out at the water. She walked up behind him, he didn't move but she knew that he could feel her there.

"I couldn't protect her," His voice cracked and his shoulders heaved as he spoke the words, "and now I can't get justice for her"

"This was never about Justin Bellevue was it?" Rory asked quietly, thrusting her balled fists into her coat. "You just wanted it to be him, to be able to solve it for her…" It was a statement, not a question. He didn't say anything.

"Tristan it's time to move on and I think you're going to have to accept that we may never know who killed her…I'm gonna go get something for dinner…" She waited a few seconds, giving him a chance to say something. Sighing inwardly, she turned to go, yet turning stayed when she heard his voice for what felt like the first time in weeks.

"I'll come with you" She smiled and offered her hand. He smiled back and took it.

**AN: _So there it is, the latest chapter, stay tuned for a break-through in the murder case in Chapter 15, as well those crazy kids' return to Chilton! Oh and a GOLD star to anybody who can pick up on myFitzgerald moment in the last scene. (I say a "Fitzgerald moment" because of the way he alluded to other people's poetry in his writings!). R&R_**

_**Ciao**_


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: _Hey guys, it's been a while. No real excuse for not updating sooner just the regular, I had to hide my kitten in my closet for an hour this morning because my dodgy little Greek landlords were hear to fix the man-hole in our bathroom and according to the lease I signed I'm not allowed to have pets But it backfired because she got out of the closet and they saw her stretching her paw out under my door so I had to lie and tell them it's my brother's cat and he's in Paraguay or somewhere similarly random for the next week...I don't think they believed me. Anyhoo:_  
**

** photobooth romance: **yes the rapist used a condom, thanks for pointing that one out in case other people weren't sure

**cinonma039: **no, Tristan only knows what Liz told him, that Justin attacked her…so did he, or didn't he? What does House say? "Everybody lies…"

**_I'm glad people liked Justin, when I was first plotting out his story I always sort of had him in the background as this spoilt rich kid who was a real asshole, but then as I developed the character of Liz I wanted to show her as torn not just bween two people but two lives. And also, I knew by then that she wouldn't be attracted to someone with a pretty face and no substance. I also wanted to make it that Justin was the guy that she was really in love with. She ran to Tristan but she really wanted the other one._**

**_Oh and I know it seems like Liz was a real bitch for doing that to Tristan but I'm trying to add in a bit more to explain it._**

**_Okay, so, longest AN ever, well...I'm sorry this is a short chapter but I'll have the nex one up tonight as well hopefully._**

****

**Disclaimer: You know, I know it, the whole freakin' world knows it...for those of you who don't know it, I don't own _GG _**

Friday morning dawned clear but fresh in Echuca. Trista had bee lying awake for a few minutes. He liked waking up early, having those precious couple of hours in bed before he had to be anywhere, see anybody, do anything. He laid on his side, his eyes finding Rory's lumpy form in the next bead. She was curled in the foetal position, the blankets drawn up almost over her head. He smiled lazily. The day before had been…disappointing. It was only as he rang the doorbell at Justin's house that doubt had entered his mind about Justin, perhaps he'd never really believed it himself, that he could have killed her…Liz. He sighed, syaing the name under his breath. _Liz…Liz…Elizabeth Belmont. _His first love, the sweetest right? How could first love end like this?

He'd met her in grade school, she was so tiny, fragile looking, quiet. She was best friends with Summer Roberts, Tristan's next-door neighbour. They had mixed in the same group but he'd always had a silent crush on her. But she was always a little further out of his reach. Until sophomore year, Chilton had thrown a ball for the end of the year. He'd been arrogant, cocky…had cornered her at her locker, leaned against it.

_"Hey Lizzie"_

_She'd rolled her eyes and ignored him, so he reached out a tugged one of her plaits. Batting his hand away she'd smiled softly._

_"__Hey Tristan"_

_He let her hair go, leaned back against the locker._

_"__So…are you going to the Summer Ball?" She'd laughed._

_"__We have to go the Summer Ball Tris,"_

_He inwardly cursed…stupid question! He laughed and smirked at her. "Of course. So…are you going with anyone?" _

_She smiled again and stooped to pick up her satchel. _

_"__What are you trying to say Tristan?" She asked quietly, leaning into him, her warm breath washing across his flushed cheeks._

_His breath caught, having her so close._

_"__I want you to go with me" He managed to get out, his voice still the confident voice of the King of Chilton._

_She laughed at him, she actually laughed at him. It was only when she s the look on his face, the look of hurt and confusion that she sobered._

_"__Did you ever wonder if I wanted to go with you?" She asked._

_He just looked at her, what the hell was she talking about._

_"__Tristan look, I like you, you're a nice guy. But you're not my type of guy. I'm not one of your girls who's just going to roll when you demand it. I'm not Summer…" Her voice was clear, calm, practiced._

_That had hurt, that dig about Summer. Summer had been his first girlfriend, when he didn't really understand what having a girlfriend meant. It had broken up when Tristan had done what Summer had seen as unforgivable…and Liz obviously. _

_"__So you won't go with me?"_

_"__No Tristan…I won't" She said quickly, walking off to meet Summer down the hall. He'd watched as their heads bent together and Liz told Summer something. Summer had turned to stared at him, her eyes cold and ushered Liz out of the school._

It had taken him months to get Liz to agree to go out with him. Months where didn't so much as look at another girl. He'd stopped hanging around with his idiot friends like Duncan and Bowman, re-discovered his older friends like Matt ad Finn. Hell he'd even tried harder at school, clawed his way up to the top-ten in the class. Anything to make her see that he was serious, that he wasn't _that _guy anymore. He didn't drink as much, stopped smoking…and one day she'd said yes. He thought he hadn't heard her properly at first, that after so long wanting to hear "yes" he was starting to imagine it. She'd laughed at him again, but a friendly laugh this time. They'd gone to a party together, to the movies, out for dinner. He'd wanted to take her everywhere, be seen with her everywhere. But she wouldn't be his girlfriend, not she'd made that clear. It was only after Justin that she'd climbed in his bedroom window. This wasn't the Liz he'd thought he'd known. She crawled into bed with him, woken him up, told him that there was only him, that he made her feel so safe…that she _loved _him. And there they were, Tristan and Liz, the golden children.

He didn't recognise himself after that, he was besotted with her, wanted to marry her once they finished college. There had only been Liz…until the day Rory Gilmore-Hayden showed up at Chilton. He'd never have done anything of course, but there she was, always in the background. And when she showed up, the light surrounding Liz diminished a little. Liz had realised of course, she may never have been brilliant, but she wasn't stupid. His touches had changed, his words less frequent. Had she known that perhaps they were coming to an end? Had that been what he wanted? The night, the night that it…happened, she'd asked him about Rory, as they lay in bed.

"_Do you like her?"_

_He'd laughed uncomfortably._

"_More than you?" He asked._

_She rolled onto her side and stared into hi eyes._

"_Yes"_

_He had been shocked, she was never usually so direct with her insecurities. He reached out to touch her cheek, gently tugging on a strand of long, dirty blond hair and pulling it behind her ear. He kissed her nose._

"_Of course not" He said, he knew she wasn't satisfied with that reply but he wasn't in the mood to entertain her insecurities that night._

"_You do, don't you?" _

_He sigh heavily and she sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet with her._

"_What are you doing Liz?"_

"_I'm going back to my room"_

"_Don't, stay" he asked half-heartedly, _

"_I've got homework to do" _

_He laughed at her and reached for her hand. She was scowling at him,_

"_Come on baby, we've go the morning off tomorrow"_

"_Yeah well, it's senior year Tristan, and you're gonna have to get used to not seeing as much of me" She smiled sweetly at him but it wasn't a real smile. She was already dressed when he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him roughly. She let out a small scream._

"_We both know I'll never get used to that" He whispered slowly catching her lips with his. _

_Eventually she pushed him away and climbed up onto the window sill._

"_I love you…" She looked as though she were about to say something else but as Tristan watched her she climbed through the window, pulled up her hood and walked off. It was only once she'd gone that he'd realised what had troubled him, her voice, it had been so hollow, so empty…and all because of Rory Gilmore-Hayden…_

"What are you thinking about?" Her voice shattered his day-dreams and he jumped. Rory was now sitting up in herbed, her blankets pulled up to her chin and head cocked on the side watching him. He shrugged.

"Just thinking," He couldn't tell her, couldn't tell her the truth. He hadn't told the police about his disagreement with Liz, it h been so small for them. Usually I thy fought it descended to an all-out slinging match, for some reason this one hadn't, and for some reason, that had seemed more serious to Tristan. He had known, lying in bed after she left, that this wasn't over. Rory shrugged and climbed out of bed, hopping lightly towards the bathroom to shower.

"Are you looking forward to going home"

"Can't hardly wait," He mumbled.

She stuck her head out the bathroom door and poked h tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes.

* * *

She turned on he shower and removed her clothes folding hem neatly and piling them on the basin. She was feeling feather-light today, the day before, finding Justin as well as the good night's sleep she'd gotten had combined to pull the weight of recent weeks off her shoulders. Mostly though, she was going home, she'd never realised how sweet that was before.

Tristan drove the last leg of the journey. Rory reclined the passenger seat back as far as it would go and kicked her feet up onto the dashboard. Leaning back she though over the past few weeks. His fall from grace had been spectacular and she'd been there through it all. In the beginning she didn't think either of them could have said why…hell, even as the car roared down the highway and with the sun falling over her contemplative features she couldn't say what had made her stick by him. In the back of her mind, where she kept pushing it a little further out of sight was the niggling reminder that this road-tri had achieved nothing. Sure, they'd found Justin, but when they got back Tristan would still be the target of the police, of Summer…she sighed under her breath. For the moment, until they reached Hartford, she would pretend it was over.

Tristan looked over at her, she was so quiet he thought she'd fallen asleep. She was awake though, she smiled at him and he felt his heart rate speed up a little. She was right there right there in the passenger seat beside him, she'd been beside him since the outset. He couldn't help but ask himself, if things had been different, would Liz have been there like this?


	17. Chapter 16

**AN: _Well the end is finally in sight, not quite there yet though. There's still plenty of angst and drama to be explored! Thank you so much to everyone who is persisting with his story, ye shall be rewarded in the coming chapters. Anyway, as promised, the next chapter!  
_**

**  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG - _Duh!**

Rory and Tristan couldn't say how long they'd been stopped on the side of the road, perhaps minutes, maybe hours. Neither of them had said anything yet, they were still too…were they shocked?

"We need music," Tristan said, "Road-trip tunes" 

_Rory laughed and leaned over to switch on the radio._

"_I guess you're sick of my CDs by now?"_

"_Kind of, yeah" He admitted. _

_She twiddled with the knobs until she'd gotten a local radio station. They were only an hour or so out of Hartford and it was already dark. The end of Ingram Hill's "Will I ever make it home?" was playing and the pair laughed ruefully._

"_And that was Ingram Hill with 'Will I ever make it home?' from the 'Thirteen going on Thirty' Soundtrack. Now here's Alys Francis with the news" _

"_Oh turn it off," Tristan whined.  
Rory looked at him in horror.  
"I am going to be a journalist one day, I have to immerse myself in the news," She admonished d he waved his hand as if shutting her up._

"_Fine, fine,"_

"…_and in breaking news, Hartford Police have announced that they have arrested a suspect in the so-called 'Society Murder' of seventeen-year-old Hartford school-girl Elizabeth Belmont. The teenager disappeared from her dormitory at Chilton Academy a month ago, her body was found the next day on the school-grounds. Detectives investigating the case announced today that they have taken into custody…" _

Rory didn't know when the car had stopped moving. A suspect, they'd arrested somebody…the newsreader didn't say who, the police mustn't have released a name yet. She turned to Tristan who was staring blindly out of the window. Music had filled the car again, the news bulletin over, they were surrounded by Papa Roach's _Scars_. Slowly she touched his shoulder but he jerked away from her, threw open the car door and climbed out. She swiveled to watch him. They were parked on the side of the road, half on the grass that bordered it. He stumbled towards the woods that skirted them. She scrambled out.

"Tristan!" She cried. He didn't stop. "Tris!" Trying not to lose her footing on the slippery embankment she hurried after him. He stood, with his back t her, on the edge of the woods, at the bottom of the embankment. His shoulders squared as he watched the trees whisper gently to one another in the dusk.

"Tristan," She whispered, pulling on his jumper sleeve.

"It's over," He said. "Over, can you believe it?"

"Half," She replied.

He finally turned to face her, his face impassive but then he broke out into the most beautiful smile Rory had seen on him since that day in the coffee shop.

"It's over!" He laughed and she laughed too before she threw herself into his arms. He caught her easily and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her to his height and gently kissed her lips.

"Are you alright down there?" A loud voice called from the road and a flashlight was shone on them. Rory shielded her eyes and turned to look. Flashing blue and red lights dizzied her for a moment and Tristan let her down. He took her hand protectively.

"Yeah, we're fine," he called back.

"You'd better come back up on the road!" The police officer called out.

The two set up the embankment, Tristan supporting Rory with his arm around her waist.

"Tristan DuGrey? Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden?" The police officer asked when they got up to the road. His partner was standing near Rory's car, looking in it with another flashlight. The teenagers laughed uncertainly and nodded.

"Well haven't you had us busy, the entire Connecticut police force has been looking for you two," The officer said sternly.

"We're sorry officer," said Rory timidly, "We didn't mean to worry anyone…" She trailed off.

"You'd better save that for your mother,"

"We're on our way home now," Tristan explained.

"Not anymore, we're under orders to bring you straight to the Hartford PD"

* * *

Louise and Jay were sitting on the edge of the couch in his living room watching for the latest news about the arrest. They had been told as they left school that police had a suspect in custody. Louise had come back to Hartford with Jay and had spent the entire time in tears about her treatment of Tristan. Now Jay held her hand as they listened with baited breath. But it was just the same old story, they had a suspect in custody, no name, no picture, no denials, no refutations. Lorelai leaned against the doorway with Christopher standing next to her. He, like his wife, was showing signs of wear and tear after a week without Rory. 

Jay watched them out of the corner of his eye, and as worried as he have been about Rory, he couldn't help being angry with her that she'd done this to them. When the phone rang it was Christopher who went to answer it. It was only a minute or so later when he appeared back at the doorway with Lorelai's coat in one hand and trying to pull his on wit the other.

"What is it Chris?" She asked,

"Rory," He mumbled, his wallet and keys in his mouth.

"What? Is she okay?"

"At the police department" He mumbled back, finally struggling into his coat he stuffed his keys and wallet into the pockets. "you two," He said, pointing at Jay and Louise, "wait here, we're going to get her."  
"We'll come with you dad," Jay said.

"No,"

"Let him come Chris," Lorelai begged and Chris sighed.

"Fine, come, let's take the whole neighbourhood! Louise, that includes you!" Louise jumped to attention and she and Jay followed his parents out to the car.

* * *

Rory sat in an interview room on her own. She and Tristan had been split up when they'd arrived. The detective across from her sipped his coffee. 

"And after your meeting with Mr. Bellevue, you just decided t come home?"

"I'd hardly call it a meeting," Rory mumbled, she didn't like Detective Corry.

"I'm sorry?"

"We didn't _decide_ to come home, that was always the plan…can I leave now?" She felt like a little girl, she just wanted her mommy.

"Miss Gilmore-Hayden…I don't think you understand the trouble you're in…"

"And what trouble would that be?" Her father asked as he was ushered in by an affiliate of Mr. Jenkins' that Janlen had produced.

"Daddy!" Rory cried, flying into his arms.

"I trust that my daughter is allowed to be taken home?" Rory couldn't resist throwing a triumphant look at Detective Corry who scowled.

"For now, we'll be in touch if we need any more information."  
"You do that detective," Chris snapped.

Chris led her out of the room and stopped, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him. He looked at her, as though looking for cuts or bruises, physical manifestations of her time away.

"I'm fine dad" She said quietly.

"Yes," He said simply, pulling her into a fierce hug.

"Baby!" Lorelai screamed as she barreled through the station to where Rory and Chris stood.

Rory had the breath crushed out of her when Lorelai hugged her. She looked past her mother to where Louise and Jay stood, their fingers intertwined. She smiled, yes, they were right together. How hadn't she seen that? Maybe they all would be okay.

She let herself be led, ensconced in her family, through the station. She glanced to her left as they passed a waiting room and made eye contact with Tristan who was accompanied only by his lawyer. She slowed down until she was standing in the doorway.

"Is he in a lot of trouble?" She quietly asked Lorelai who was hovering beside her.

"I don't know," Lorelai replied honestly.

"He looks so alone,"

Lorelai didn't say anything, she just put her hand on Rory's shoulder and squeezed it. Rory raised her right hand in a semi-wave and smiled softly. Tristan smiled back and she was led home.

* * *

Louise and Rory sat with Madeline an Paris in the common room of DuGrey building, the nightly news was playing in the background but hey all ignored it, each lost in their own thoughts as they tried to entertain a conversation. 

"I mean, I'm only gone a few days and I come home to find my brother with a girlfriend," Rory joked, only h eyes betraying deeper thoughts.

Louise rolled her eyes.

"You're brother has a girlfriend?" She asked playfully, "Damn!"

Rory threw a cushion at her.

"Come on, with no icky details, tell me everything about you two"

"Aww, but the icky details are the best part" Madeline whined and Paris snorted. It was Sunday night, after Janlen's sizable donation to the school there had been no questions about Rory and Tristan starting back the next week.

Rory had spent the weekend with her family. They had gone out on Saturday, a real family day, a restaurant lunch, movies, shopping. It was as though everything had gone back to normal, but they were just playing at that. Rory knew how betrayed her mother felt, she saw it in Lorelai's eyes. She knew how let down her family felt. And despite the niggling guilt she could feel the resentment rising in her. Did they not trust her to make her own decisions? To make her own way? She found herself watching her mother with new eyes. She had always wondered if there was a time when you stopped seeing your parents as just that, started to see them as people instead. This was her time, to see parents as people. Lorelai, the carefree spirited girl. Rory had grown up with tales of the legendary Lorelai who had gone her own way throughout her life, never submitted to people. She remembered the pictures of her mother at high school, all big hair, mini-skirts, glo-mesh singlets. Rory had envied that girl somehow, been jealous of her. Unlike that Lorelai of long ago she was plain, predictable, safe, boring. She had wondered at times, if Lorelai wasn't disappointed with this safe daughter. Yet now that Rory was making her own decisions, not caring for once about tomorrow, about the next day, about ten years from now, Lorelai was aghast. When do you make that conscious decision to settle down? To fit into the ideas that people around you had of you? Maybe Rory didn't want that anymore.

She hadn't see Tristan, truth be told, had avoided him. It seemed as though everything that had happened during their time away was a dream, transient and now that they were back to a normal life she couldn't conjure the pictures as clearly, trying to grab hold of them was like reaching out into smoke. She couldn't explain it except to say that the craziness of their time away had bred those kisses, those touches. She wanted more, that she knew, but wen she looked into his eyes she didn't see her thoughts mirrored. He would pull away instead, draw back, back into a shell. She did that to him, made him pull away…and she couldn't condone that no matter what _she _herself wanted. She couldn't do it to him, wouldn't do it.

"Guys, guys!" Paris' voice was urgent, breaking though all their thoughts. They concentrated on the television.

_"The Hartford Police Department has released Jimmy Vanson, their prime suspect in the murder of teen socialite Elizabeth Belmont. Mr. Vanson was arrested on Friday morning but released earlier this afternoon after an alibi was produced. Mr. Vanson, a vagrant, was believed to have been sited on the outskirts of Chilton Academy on the night that Miss Belmont was murdered but today a Hartford bar-tender confirmed that Mr. Vanson had been at the 'Elephant and Wheelbarrow' all evening until 4a.m….This puts the investigation into the murder back to the beginning and with no other leads Tom Nightingale reports that pressure is mounting to close this case…"_

A journalist flicked up on the screen out the front of Chilton earlier that day. Rory gasped.

"Oh God," Madeline moaned.

"It just doesn't fucking end" Rory exclaimed.

The girls looked at her in shock. She stood up, angry, upset, confused all at once. She didn't know what to do.

"What we need is a nice cup of tea" Louise suggested and Paris snorted.

"You sound like your grandmother,"

Louise blushed.

"Well, that's what my grandmother says fixes everything,"

Rory laughed ruefully in the corner where she was staring out of the window.

"When will this be over?" She whispered mostly to herself.

* * *

Tristan was lying on the edge of Finn's bed tossing a football up into the air and catching it. Matt watched him from hi seat at the desk. Jay sat on his bed with a chemistry book open in his lap. 

"Fuck this man, I hate chemistry"

"Well you're the one who decided on a whim to be an air force pilot, mate" Finn reminded him with a laugh. Tristan was silent. They'd just watched the news saying the homeless guy the cops had arrested had been released. Finn had tactfully turned it off afterwards and tried to turn the conversation to that weekend. The boys had re-formed a tentative bond over beer, cigarettes and joints that weekend, but Tristan found he just didn't care anymore. Didn't care if he had friends or not, didn't care about company, except for that of one person. It's strange, a few weeks ago he couldn't have been alone. It's strange what life events teach you.

He hadn't seen Rory since Friday night. He'd tried to call her cell a few times, too scared to call her home phone in case her parent's answered. He imagined he wasn't their favourite person at the moment. She hadn't answered. He remembered her framed in the doorway at the police station, her hair messed up and a streak of dirt on her cheek from their trip down the embankment. She'd looked so beautiful. She'd raised h hand and smiled gently and he couldn't help but smile back. He couldn't help remembering their time on the road together. What would happen now that life was somewhat back to normal? Would they drift apart? Was it just a few crazy weeks? She'd hated him before this, what was stopping her from falling back into that? How could he feel this so soon? But then, it wasn't the first time he was feeling it, he'd felt from the time he laid eyes on her, Liz had known it, so had Matt and Finn…maybe even Paris and Mads. It had been obvious hadn't it?

He sighed and stopped tossing the ball, climbing off the bed he crossed to Jay's desk, looking for a pen, his grandfather wanted him to write a letter to his parents in Europe to let them know he was alright. Good luck writing that with a straight face.

"Dude, where's a pen?" He asked Jay, sorting through the mess on the desk.

'Under the books"

Tristan lifted a stack of exercise books and dumped them on Matt's lap who jumped. Underneath was a wire tray with an assortment of crap in it ranging from pens to a stapler and bulldog clips. Something glimmered and caught his eyes, reaching into the mess he pulled it out, the memory washing over him.

_He was so ridiculously nervous. Why? God, he'd given girls presents before, bought them jewelry before. He was painfully aware of the box in his pocket. Liz finally arrived. _

"_Sorry I was late baby, mom was having a problem with her acrylic nails"_

"_Of course," Tristan laughed and Liz laughed with him. Six months, perhaps not a milestone to most people, but to him, to them it was. He held her hand, they were sitting in restaurant in the centre of Hartford for an anniversary dinner and then onto a party at Finn's house. He wanted it to be perfect like the movies, they'd eat first, he'd be witty and charming, and then after dancing he'd surprise her. But he couldn't help himself. Instead he sort of threw the box on the table._

"_Here's your present" He announced, relatively ineloquently. She'd laughed._

"_You got me something?"_

"_Don't be coy," He admonished with a smile, "go on," he nudged the box towards her, "open it," She picked up the box and tore back the shimmery pink wrapping. Pausing to look up at him with her huge crystalline eyes she opened it. The necklace was dainty, just like the girl who would wear it. White gold, he knew she didn't wear anything else. The pendent made it unusual. The woman in the store had pointed out butterflies, fairies, diamonds and everything girly under the sun but Tristan knew what he wanted. He'd chosen a ring, a white gold band encrusted with three diamond chips. He had bought two and threaded one onto the chain, engraved with _

_DON'T FORGET I LOVE YOU…_

_She drew in her breath and looked up at him, her eyes wide, did that mean she liked it? He held up his right hand, there, on his ring finger was the matching ring. _

"_Oh Tris"_

"_Do you like it?" He hated how infantile he sounded, how childish. _

_She leaned across the table, the necklace now nestled around her throat._

"_I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," She said before she pulled him towards her by his tie, kissing him gently. She'd worn it to the prty that night and never taken it off afterwards.  
_

Tristan stared down at his hand.

"Uh Jay?"

"Yeah?" Jay asked distractedly.

"I don't want to jump t conclusions…" The other guys turned to look at him, "…but why do you have my murdered ex-girlfriend's necklace on your desk?"

**AN: _So how was that for a twist? And you all thought it was Matt! Ha! Well...maybe it is...doo doo doo doo (that's my rendition of that creed FBI-style music). Please R&R!_**


	18. Chapter 17

**AN: _Well it seems as if I had the desired effect, everyone seems surprised by that little sting in the tail. Anyway, there was some problem so the chapter I finished lsat night couldn't be uploaded, but here it is now albeit a little late with another on the way!_**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own_ GG _  
**

Rory watched her twin from her side of the glass. His eyes were heavy and he was frightened, she could sense that. Her heart was heavy as she thought of her parent's out in the waiting room…Louise as well. He hadn't said much, he hadn't said much since the police had arrived to question him, hadn't said much when they had arrested him on campus in front of everybody. She didn't know what to say to him, to ask him.

"I didn't do it," he said quietly, hunched over the tiny, grubby, laminex table. She sighed, she was hearing that a lot lately. "You don't believe me, do you?" He asked, hurt by what he saw as a betrayal.

"Of course I do," She replied half-heartedly.

The truth of course, was more convoluted. He was her brother, her _twin_ more to the point. So immediately something in her _knew _he couldn't have done it. But then there was the necklace…why did he have Liz's necklace in his room, on his desk, mixed with his pencils and paperclips like junk?

"Do you want me to send in mom?" She asked quietly.

"No!" He exclaimed, "Fuck Rory, I've already told you, I don't want to see them."

Since his arrest he would only speak through Rory, he had been in custody for three days now.

"Jay…"

"No, just go Rory"

"Jay," She pleaded but his eyes were cold.

"Go" She hung up her phone, breaking her eye contact with him and gathered her purse. Without looking back she made her way to where her parent's and Louie waited.

She and Louise had been holed up in their dormitory since his arrest on Tuesday morning after assembly. It was now Thursday night and Louise was staring despondently out the window.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. Rory looked up at her from where she'd been half-heartedly flicking through her book.

"What are you talking about?"

Louise shrugged.

"About Tristan…I understand now how you believed him…how you just knew. Because…with Jay, I just know Rory, I just know, even with the evidence" She choked back a sob.

Rory wrapped her arms around her friend.

"It's okay,"

"It's really not"

* * *

Tristan lay on his bed tossing the football. Matt was at the desk trying to finish his homework. It had been four days, four days since he'd found that necklace on Jay's desk.

_Tristan stared down at his hand._

"_Uh Jay?"_

"_Yeah?" Jay asked distractedly._

"_I don't want to jump t conclusions…" The other guys turned to look at him, "…but why do you have my murdered ex-girlfriends necklace on your desk?" _

_Tristan turned slowly, the necklace still dangling from his curled fingers; Matt and Finn watched him, their eyes wide, confused. Jay barely looked up._

"_What the fuck are you talking about DuGrey?" He asked, still looking down at his book._

_Tristan looked down at the gold ring on the winking chain and then back up at Jay who met his eyes coolly. Finally, letting out a roar of rage Tristan launched himself on Jay, tackling him to the floor. Matt jumped up first, running to get help as Tristan wrapped his fingers around Jay's throat._

"_I'll fucking kill you," He whispered as the door bust open._

It was a blur after that, more guy had burst into the room with their housemother, pulling Tristan off Jay. Tristan remembered telling someone what had happened, the police being called. Jay had been arrested on Tuesday morning, out the front of the main school building just after assembly, in front of Rory. Tristan had been standing in the shadows at the front of the school, had seen he confusion in her eyes, the tears welling. She had whipped around as though looking for someone…who?

He sighed and Matt turned around.

"You okay?" He asked quietly. Matt had been great, had believed Tristan straight away, he remembered the necklace as well. Tristan shrugged.

"Yeah"

Matt turned back to his books quietly.

* * *

Rory dressed half-heartedly for classes the next morning, blow-drying the same patch of hair over and over before realising it. Her mind was nowhere near where it should have been. Louise seemed to feel the same way as she packed her book-bag. Normally it never contained anything remotely resembling a book but this morning she carried Rory's history book _and _a notepad. Together they left the dormitory where they ran into Paris and Madeline who walked on the outside as if protecting them from the stares of the other students. They had all skipped breakfast, Madeline had been into town and bought bagels instead, so they could avoid it all. The rumours were rife, it was better for Rory, she was only related to Jay, she couldn't help a blood connection but _Louise, _well she was _dating _him, se had no excuse according to the gossips.

"Literature first up," Paris commanded as she steered them through the halls. _Literature, _Rory thought, _Friday morning…that means the first hearing is next Wednesday…_She shook her head, she didn't want to think about this right now.

"Are there any parties on tonight?" She asked Madeline who looked surprised.

"There's _always _parties on," Louise answered, sounding a little like her old self with her arm linked through Rory's.

"Are we going?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Louise asked sardonically.

"Oh come on Grant, you've been the subject of worse gossip in your time, remember when Jika Thomas told everyone you have VD?" Madeline snorted and Louise looked aghast.

"I want to go to a party, forget about all of this for now"

"If you want to forget, going to a Chilton party is the worst thing you could do," Madeline reminded her.

"I never said it had to be a Chilton party," Rory said quietly.

"I'll ask around," Madeline told her.

Literature was a class she had with Tristan; she hadn't seen him since Friday except for a glimpse here or there. She told herself that _she_ was avoiding _him, _but doubt still niggled. She took her seat with the girls and watched the door; they'd been early ad he was usually late. Sure enough, with seconds to spare the door opened and he walked in with Matt, they were talking and he was smiling. Their eyes locked and his widened in panic as they held hers. Matt kept walking to get a seat but Tristan seemed rooted to the spot.

"Dude, come on," Matt hissed and Tristan began to follow him slowly, his eyes not leaving Rory's.

Her heart was racing and her face had heated up as she watched him. What could she see in his eyes? Anything? Or was she imagining it, the hurt, the betrayal. How had she betrayed him? She wrenched her eyes away; they were stinging as she concentrated on her page. The class was a double then a break for half an hour. Tristan and Matt were the first two to leave and Rory quickly shoved her books in her bag and took off after him leaving the girls behind her.

"Stupid," Paris muttered, running a hand down her face.

* * *

"Tristan!" She called as she chased him down the hall. She saw him stop for a moment as he heard her, square his shoulders and keep walking outside. She burst through the door a second later, her satchel slapping against her left thigh.

"Tristan!" She reached out and tugged his blazer sleeve, almost losing her footing.

"What?" He asked coldly, turning to face her.

She stepped back, her eyes betraying the hurt at his tone.

"I…I just, haven't seen you. I wanted to…to talk," She mumbled into her chest.

Matt shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as Tristan looked up and then back down at her.

"About what?" He asked finally.

A group had gathered around them, trying to look as though they weren't shamelessly eavesdropping.

"About what?" Rory repeated, "Oh I don't know Tristan, about how you're doing, about how I'm doing…" She trailed off and his eyes blazed.

"How _you're _doing? How _you're _doing? _Your _brother murdered my _girlfriend _and you want to talk about how _you're _doing?" He asked incredulously.

She shifted her weight and looked up at him.

"He's only accused" She mumbled as Tristan turned to go,

"_What?_"

"I said," She begun, enunciating her words as though talking to a five-year-old, "that he has only been accused" As she finished Paris, Madeline and Louise showed up at her side, panting a little.

"_Only _accused, that's rich…at least now I know why you stuck by me. You knew I couldn't have done it didn't you?" He asked with a smirk.

He clutched his stinging cheek where she had slapped him; the flesh tinged pink now. He looked up at her, she was shaking with fury and her eyes were filled with tears.

"You son of a bitch" She whispered before turning and running towards her dormitory.

* * *

She'd never been so angry. Her hand stung where she'd slapped him. She blushed and groaned. In front of everybody she had slapped their fallen King…god she sounded like something out of a bad script when she put it that way. But he'd been such an asshole. How dare he insinuate that she'd known Jay had done it…hell she didn't even believe he'd done it now did she? _Suck it up Rory, he's an asshole, you knew before all this, you knew that the first time you met him. _That was true, she'd always known he was a jackass, she'd just romanticised him because of his vulnerability after Liz. He was grieving and she fooled herself into believing she was seeing the _real _Tristan, no, the _real _Tristan was the one she'd left standing downstairs clutching his cheek.

"I'm sorry he said that," Paris said quietly from the doorway she, Madeline and Louise had burst through a few minus before. Rory shrugged.

"It's okay, I'm gonna have to get used to that aren't I?"

"If it makes you feel any better," Madeline began, "There's a Del Sol party on tonight…Kylie Battinski told me about it downstairs"

"Del Sol?" Rory asked,

"Put it this way," Louise said, "If Chilton and Del Sol were gangs, they'd be our rivals. They're from Del Sol, which was what the technical school and the public high in Hartford became when they amalgamated because no-one paid school fees"

"What are their parties like?" Rory asked and Madeline shrugged.

"Free alcohol, drink spiking, underage sex and idiots driving like fools"

"So just like a Chilton party without the _Sass & Bide_ jeans?" Rory asked, "Sounds good"

**AN: _There it is, hope you liked it. The next chapter wil be up ASAP, be prepared for the Del Sol party. P.S. Del Sol is what we over at the private catholic school called the high and tech when the merged in my home town._**

**_R&R!_**


	19. Chapter 18

**AN: _Here it is, as promised, the latest chapter. I'm so glad everybody is still liking the story and still reviewing! It's awesome._**

**_Karah06: _**_Of course you're not annoying you idiot! LOL, I love you so much! Yuo've been awesom ever since I started this story. Thank you so much for your support and help._

**_Mongoose 187: _**_Thanks and yes, I think a long chat over a pot of coffee is in store for Rory and Tristan eventually._****

**_flyleaf2114: _**_Hope you like the Del Sol party!_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, and especially not _GG  
_**

**_Saturday morning_**

Rory groaned as she rolled over in the bed she was sharing with Madeline. Madeline was lying on her side; half off the bed, her mouth slightly open and snoring loudly. Rory giggled despite herself. Louise, despite her bedroom being next door, had fallen asleep on the couch, Paris was nowhere to be seen. _What happened last night? _Rory wondered as she lay back on the pillow, resting her palm on her forehead, she had a splitting headache. _Oh God, _she paled, remembering the party.

* * *

**_The Night Before_**

Rory had driven home alone with her CD player blaring _Eve of Destruction_ as she pulled into her driveway. Christopher wasn't home, he rarely was these days, spending his time between the office and getting Jay out of jail with a few hours sleep in between. Rory let herself in and Lorelai came bounding down the stairs with imagined energy. Rory knew her heard wasn't in it, so did she.

"Baby! How was your week?"

Rory shrugged, she knew she should make an effort but she couldn't be bothered as she helped herself to a soda.

"Well…what are you doing tonight?"

"Going to a party with the girls"

"So you're all getting along better?" Lorelai asked, leaning against the bench.

Rory shrugged again, knowing she looked like an insolent teenager, but that's what she was.

"Yeah"

"Have you seen Tristan?" Lorelai asked, not missing the way Rory's eyes darkened.

"No," Rory lied and went upstairs to find some clothes.

* * *

She'd picked up Paris and Madeline and driven them to Louise's house where they'd get ready and stay that night. The Del Sol party was on the other side of town but they were getting a cab there. 

"Have you got anything to drink before we go?" Rory asked Louise who was curling the ends of her hair in front of the mirror half-heartedly, she hadn't really wanted to go but they had convinced her.

"Of course," Louise said and Madeline bounded down the stairs to find the bottle of Cointreu and some pineapple juice.

"Oh for Christ's sake," Paris mumbled as Madeline clumsily mixed the drinks and handed one to Rory.

"Mmm, it tastes like citrus," Rory said, swirling the liquid around and taking another sip.

"Girls, the cab is here," Louise's maid Anya said from the doorway. The girls squealed and rushed around finding shoes and purses and downing the rest of their drinks.

* * *

The house was on a dark street that ran next to a creek. It was a big, old two-story thing that had never had much work done to it. Paris wrinkled her nose as she stepped out of the cab; it was far removed from the lush lawns and pretty sandstone of Madeline's house. Cars were parked haphazardly across the ridged and uneven lawn, which was bare in parts and marked with muddy tire-tracks. Rory drew her jacket tighter around herself as Louise led the way. 

"It's a parent's-are-going-away party," She told them, "The guy is Ty Wilson"

"Ty Wilson?" Paris asked, paling. "Isn't that the guy that…"

"Yeah," Madeline replied.

"Which guy?" Rory asked, "What'd he do, oh God he's not a criminal or anything is he?"

"Not a criminal per se, he's just a bit of a…delinquent" Louise said and Paris snorted.

"Well he's no worse than the guys at Chilton, he just doesn't have mommy and daddy cover it up" Louise said, her voice growing quiet and it was obvious she was thinking about Jay.

They were let in by a guy with straggling black hair who was dressed in way-too-big black pants and a wife-beater, he looked stoned and Rory sighed inwardly.

"Whoa...whoa..." He started, waving his arms around. "Chilton girls...am I right? Am I right?" He started giggling and Paris sighed loudly, pushing him aside and stepping in with the girls to find the kitchen, the hub of any party. Sure enough, a keg had been hoisted up on the bench and there were bottles everywhere. Rory reached for a bottle of vodka and soda and uncapped it, taking a sip. Louise stood next to her as Madeline disappeared to "scout for hotties". Paris stood rigidly next to them, staring at the floor and trying to deflect any attention that may have been cast her way.

"I will not die here" She mumbled under her breath. She had told her parent's she was going to a quiet get-together at Louise's.

A guy materialised in front of them.

"Hey, you look new, I haven't seen you around these parties before," It wasn't until Rory nudged her that Paris realised the guy was talking to her. She looked up in horror.

"Well you wouldn't would you?" She snapped, staring back down at the ground.

Roy and Louise both shook their heads laughing the guy sort of nodded and smiled.

"Your friends not one for social niceties is she?" He stage-whispered to Rory and Paris snorted again.

"Uh yeah…no, no she's not"

"Right, I'm Tarique" He offered his hand and Rory shook it.

"I'm Rory, this is Louise and that," She said as Paris stalking off muttering something about the bathroom, "…was Paris"

"She's cute" Tarique mused and Roy rolled her eyes.

She patted the guy's shoulder,

"Unless you want to lose…an appendage…I wouldn't bother"

"Got ya," He said as he disappeared off in the direction Paris had gone.

"Oh God," Louise mutter a few minutes later as they stood in the front room surrounded by people dancing and a guy wearing the curtains around him like a robe and professing to the be the Lord of the Dance.

"Is that who I think it is?" Rory looked up and saw familiar, strategically spiked light brown hair.

"Matt!" She called and he turned to see who was calling his name. He waved brightly at Rory.

"Oh don't bring him over" Louise begged.

Rory looked at her strangely.

"Why not?"

"Don't worry," Louise mumbled as Matt joined them. He put his arm around Rory.

"How are you guys? What are you doing at a Del Sol party?"

"You know, drinking, drugs, underage sex up against the bathroom sink," Paris ranted as she joined them with Tarique in tow who looked love-struck.

"Oh that's just what _you're _doing here" Rory joked. Matt looked down at her and smiled.

"Want a drink Ror?" She swirled the remains of her vodka and downed it.

"Sure,"

She followed Matt to the kitchen.

"I wanted to see you before the weekend, but when I'd finished packing you were driving off" He said quietly and Rory cocked her head.

"Really? Why?"

He winced.

"I…I wanted to apologise for Tristan today, he was out of line"

Rory sighed.

"It's okay Matt…it's not your problem to apologise for"

"I know," He said as he handed her a bottle, "…it's just, you don't deserve that. You stood by him when even his best friends had their doubts, even when the evidence was stacked against him. And now…now he's the first one to jump to conclusions."

"Well he's just proved he's no better than Summer and that lot, hasn't he?" Rory said with confidence she didn't feel. Matt smiled gently. _He's cute when he smiles, _she thought.

"I went to see Jay this afternoon,"

Rory nearly spit out her drink.

"What!"

Matt blushed.

"You don't…you don't mind do you?"

Roy tried to recover herself.

"No, of course not…how was he?"

"He was…a bit down"  
"Why did you go?" She asked,

"Rory, Jay and I were…are friends"

"Do you believe it?" She asked quietly, half afraid of the answer.

"No,"

She looked up at him in surprise.

"There's something in me that tells me he didn't…couldn't"

Rory nodded, tears coming to her eyes. Without thinking she reached up and wrapped her arms around Matt'' neck, letting his fall around her waist.

* * *

Jay sat in his cell at the Juvenile Detention Centre, he was by himself. His first night he'd shared it with another kid but now it was just him. He laid back on his bed thinking about everything. He hadn't known what Tristan was even talking about that night, just looked up in time to see Tristan lunge towards him. Since then he'd spoken to so many people, nodded in time to too much advice. His father and grandfather had invested in the best lawyer. But, with the evidence, it didn't look good, he knew that. Not only was there Liz's necklace but he had no alibi. He could kill Finn Morgan right now, his "roommate" who had decided, that night, to sneak out to the local pub and sleep in the common room when he got back. Nobody else could verify his whereabouts. That _fucking _necklace, where had it come from? Somebody must have put it there, but who? Tristan? He had looked genuinely surprised when he'd found it but he was a good actor, Jay remembered that from Theatre Studies.

* * *

Rory suddenly realised that she was still leaning her head on Matt's strong chest. Wiping away a tear she pulled away. 

"I'm sorry,"

"Why?" He asked,

"For that, for hugging you like that" She stuttered, looking at the ground.

"Hey," Matt said quietly, touching his fingers to her chin, slowly drawing her face up so she looked into his eyes.

_They're green…I've never seen real green eyes, _she thought.

"It's okay Rory, you've gone through a lot, and you need friends"

"Is that what you are?" She asked, wondering why her voice sounded hopeful.

He laughed huskily.

"Of course…" It sounded as though he wanted to say more as he trailed off.

"What?" She asked but he was staring past her. She turned and saw Tristan leaning against the doorway.

"Cars parked had to do the rounds of the fans" Tristan said, his cold eyes taking in Rory and Matt.

Rory felt Matt stiffen in front of her before he smiled at his friend.

"No worries man…the uh…the girls are here"

"So I see," Tristan replied coolly.

"Tris!"

Rory saw a raven-haired girl launch herself into Tristan's arms. He smiled.

"Hey Keisha. Long-time no see"

Rory stopped herself from rolling her eyes but when she looked up Matt was doing that for her. _Manwhore_ he mouthed and Rory giggled.

* * *

Tristan ignored her, he had his hands full of Keisha anyway on the makeshift dance floor. 

"Looks like he's doing alright" Louise said archly, she was livid with him as well.

"Oh my God, is that _Gellar_?" Matt asked, appearing behind them.

Louise and Rory looked out to the dance floor where Paris was dancing body-to-body with Tarique and necking a bottle of tequila sunrise. Louise burst out laughing.

"Oh my God!"  
"Persistence must really pay off," Rory muttered.

"Really?" Matt whispered in her ear.

Rory shivered at his warm breath and Louise shuddered.

"Good news for me," He whispered.

Rory's eyes widened and she half turned to him, he smiled down at her.

"Want to dance?"

She nodded, her mouth dry. His eyes, how had she not noticed his eyes before? _Tristan, _she realised, _Tristan had blinded her._

The room was darker now, it was getting harder to make out the couples. Matt led Rory onto the floor as Avril Lavigne's _He wasn't _burst out of the loud speakers. He pulled her closer to him gently, his arms around her waist, resting on the waistband of her jeans. They danced together, swaying softly. Rory had another bottle in her hand and she sipped it.

He looked down at her, she was so tiny, he could probably put her in his pocket if there was any trouble and carry her away safely. He smiled, he liked girls who were tiny, they were so much more…feminine, nicer. He lifted his hand to run it through her coffee-coloured hair, still streaked with gold in places from the summer sun. She laid her head on his shoulder and he tried to ignore the daggers being thrown at him by Tristan.

Louise watched Rory and Matt from the other side of the room with a frown. At any other party she would have been in the thick of it all, dancing, drinking, flirting. Now she just wanted to be somewhere familiar. Her eyes washed over Rory again, she had laid her head against Matt's shoulder as they danced. Louise narrowed her own eyes.

"What did you mean before when you said it was good for you that persistence pays off?" Rory asked Matt as they stood off to the side of the dance floor. He froze for a moment before smiling easily and turning to face her.

"Rory…"

"Yes?" She asked, turning her big, innocent eyes on him.

"I…I like you. I thought that was obvious. I _really _like you Rory"

Her breath caught.

"You're not like the other girls at school…they're…they're mostly just like their mothers. They bat their eyelashes and tumble into bed with the first thin to flash their bankroll. You…you're not like that, you're a good girl,"

She laughed and he smiled at her, leaning forward to close the gap between them. Finally their lips met in a kiss and he pulled her closer to him, running his fingers through her loose hair.

* * *

Tristan clenched and unclenched his fist in the corner. Keisha had long since disappeared to "get a drink". He watched them talking and then Rory laughed. _God don't let them kiss_, he prayed, but as he did the space between them closed. _Shit!_

* * *

**_Saturday_**

Madeline let out a loud snore and promptly rolled off the bed.

"Ouch!" She cried, waking up Louise.

"What is it?" She yelled as she thrashed about under the blanket on the couch before grabbing her head. "Oh God, what did we _do _last night?' Madeline moaned.

"Speak for yourself Mads, _I _was very well behaved" Louise told her from the couch.

Rory snorted,

"Well if _I _recall correctly, Paris and I carried _you _up the stairs Louise,"

Louise blushed and Paris appeared at the door.

"God what did I _do _last night?" She asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

The girls all laughed.

That afternoon, still at Louise's, Rory checked her cell phone. She had three new messages, she brightened up, maybe one was from Tristan.

_Hey Rory, it's Matt, just wanted to make sure you got home safe, Paris and Lou looked pretty gone._

_Hey Rory, it's Matt again, just wanted to let you know this is my number_

_Hey Rory, Matt again, I'm sorry for texting so much but just wondered if you wanted to go out this weekend?_

She groaned and Madeline peaked over her shoulder.

"Wooh! I'd forgotten about Matt! You kissed him didn't you?"

Paris' eyes widened and she turned to Rory.

"_I _forgot that too! Matt? What's going on there?"

Rory shrugged.

"I don't know"

"He's cute…and high up on the social ladder," Madeline said.

"And a wanker," Louise muttered.

"What?" Rory asked.

"Nothing,"

"I think you should go for it"

"I don't know…" Rory began, "He wants to go out this weekend"

Madeline squealed.

"Are you going?"

"I don't think so…it's not…it's not a good time for something like this"

Madeline shrugged and put on another pot of coffee for Rory.

"Whatever, pretty weak excuse if you ask me," She mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing Rory" She replied sweetly.

Rory looked down at her phone again and slowly a smile spread across her face.

**AN: _Let me know what you think! R&R_  
**


	20. Chapter 19

**AN: _Okay, so alittle controversy over Rory and Matt...yay! Reviews, I love 'em. For tho of you who were wondering, "necking" a bottle is slang, it just means drinking, sorry if I confued people. Oh and tequila sunrise is one of the premixed drinks my friends and I used to buy for $1 each from the loca drive-through bottle-shop, so yeah. I wasn't thinking when I put that in._**

**_i die without you: _**_you're right, Matt is dodgy...here's a hint, reember what he said to Rory about her being "different" it'll be important. And you're right, 3 messages is a lot but Matt really does like Rory, he's just a little stalker/creepy about it. Keep reading to see why he went and visited Jay.  
_

**Disclaimer: I don't own_ GG_**

"Rory!"

She turned as she walked down the hall-ways with Louise. Matt jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey" He panted, clasping her shoulder.

"Hi Matt," She said quietly, missing the vicious glare he sent Louise's way.

"Did you get my messages?"

She sighed inwardly, she hadn't replied to them, her life just wasn't settled enough at the moment for something as routine as dating.

"Yeah I did…you sent three" She replied flatly.

He laughed nervously.

"Yeah that was…stupid"

"No, it's okay" _Why did she do that? Why did she always make excuses for people? _

"So…" He began, falling into step beside she and Louise, "…do you want to go out this week?"

They were standing outside her first class, Louise went in leaving Rory with Matt. She laughed nervously.

"Um…this is my class so…" She turned to go but he grasped her arm tightly. She looked at him in horror but he was just smiling easily at her.

"Do you want to go out?" He asked again.

"Um…Matt…I…I've got a lot going on right now and I don't think that dating would be…a good idea" She said slowly.

He nodded and let go of her arm. She sighed inwardly with relief and huried into her class.

"That's alright Rory…persistence pays off, you said so yourself," He whispered before heading to his first class.

* * *

Matt and Tristan hadn't spoken all night since the night of the party. Tristan had left without Matt. Eventually it was Matt who couldn't stand it as he sat at the desk.

"Dude, what's wrong?"

Tristan shrugged like a petulant child on his bed where he was leafing through a magazine.

"Is this about Rory and me?"

"Is there a 'Rory and you'?"

It was Matt's turn to shrug.

"I'd like there to be, but I know you like her"  
"I do not, don't make up my feelings to dramatise your own life"

"Whatever" Matt muttered.

Tristan sighed loudly.

"I'm going for a shower"

* * *

He leaned his head against the cool tiles. He didn't like her, he knew he didn't. Sure, he'd been attracted to her, taken it too far on their road-trip but that was it. It was _Liz _he loved. Suddenly a memory came over him."I loved her Rory" 

Had that been what she was asking him about? Why he'd used that word in the past tense? Did he still love Liz? He had loved her, he knew he had, he'd completely knocked over by her.

She was so beautiful with those huge blue eyes that curved up a little in the outer edges and that goofy laugh she had where sometimes she'd shriek.

He smiled against the tiles.

_And that soft hair, _he sighed, _that long coffee-coloured hair that smelled like apple ad pineapple juice and…wait! Brown hair? No, no, not Rory._

He wasn't supposed to be thinking about Rory, about the girl who'd betrayed him like that. She _must _have known it was Jay, that's why she'd believed him. He turned in the shower so his back was against the wall and slowly sank down until he was crouched on the floor, the shower head matting his hair to his skull as he buried his head in his arms.

* * *

"Can we finally try to pull this group together?" Paris snapped.

Gathered around a large group table in the library were she, Rory, Madeline, Louise, Finn and Tristan who was staring sullenly at his books.

"Okay well we have to somehow pull together an interactive website on the future of the media, 7,000 words. It's due at the end of the semester which means time is ticking away," She went on.

Rory stared at Tristan who shifted uncomfortable under her gaze and looked out the window. Paris sighed heavily.

"So is anybody actually listening to me?" She demanded.

"I am love," Finn told her.

"Me too" Madeline put in.

"You're painting your nails" Paris replied dryly and Madeline shrugged.

"Multi-tasking" She said with a mischievous grin.

"You know what, all of you go and find some books!"

Rory got up from the table and followed Tristan. He rolled his eyes when he saw her beside him in the stacks.

"What do _you _want?" He asked coldly.

"To see why you're being such an ass…you can't possibly believe what you said on Friday"

"Rory," he said with a sigh, "I am going to say this once and then I want you out of my life forever…" She took a step back, her eyes wide and hurt, "…you believe me"

"Exactly," She whispered and he held his hand up to silence her.

"_You _believed me when my own friends didn't…" He hurried on, not letting her get a word in. "…we didn't even know each other and all the evidence pointed towards me. Yet you believed I was innocent…why would you think that unless you _knew _something? You don't know me Rory, but you _do _knowyour brother." He turned and stormed off, three books under his arm. She chased after him into the main part of the library.

"You're right!" She screamed and he half-turned. "I _do _know my brother, and I know a lot more than that. I know about your _precious _Liz!"

He froze, every eye in the library was trained on them.

"Don't you _dare _talk about her!"  
"Oh I'll talk about her Tristan! Your sweet little girlfriend was cheating on you the whole time you were together!" There was a crash as he dropped his books and let out an anguished cry.

"Rory," Paris sad warningly.

"Shut up Paris!" Rry cried, wheeling on her friend, "It's true Tristan! She was fucking him behind your back the whole time! And you want to know something else?"

It was clear from the look in his eyes that he didn't.

"She lied, she _lied_! Justin never _attacked _her! She found out _you _were at the party and she ripped her top! Her top was torn wasn't it Tristan? I bet she had a cut and a bruise on her head as well didn't she? From where she hit her _own_ head against the wall!" Her breathing was ragged and she realised for the first time how many other students were in the library.

"Shut up!" Tristan screamed, "You lying _bitch_!"

"I'm not the liar," Rory said, calm now. She picked up his cell phone and crossed to where he had sunk to his knees. She dropped it on the ground in front of him.

"Call Justin and ask him" She said quietly before leaving the library.

**_AN: __Originally I was never going to have Tristan finding out abuot Liz, but it seemed to perfect here. R&R to let me know what you think! _**


	21. Chapter 20

**AN: _I know, poor Tristan...Rry just kind of snapped huh? Anyway, here's thenext chapter where see the regret phase. Keep reading!_  
**

**_photobooth romance: _**_you're probably right. I was trying to think o something to put in there and I remembered one of my boyfriend muttering about my hair smelling like apple and pinapple juice. Granted I lived on the stuff at the time...actually he noticed a lot of littl things like that...hmm, maybe he was gay._ **  
**

** Diclaimer: I don't own _GG_**

Rory slammed her door behind her and bit her lip, she would _not _cry, she wouldn't, not over him…never over him. She hadn't meant to tell him, Justin had asked her if she would and she'd shaken her head. She had thought she couldn't but he had made her so damn angry. She felt guilty, not for him…but for Liz. She had tarnished her memory - and very publicly at that - with her outburst.

"Are you okay?" Louise asked behind her, she had slipped in door unnoticed.

Rory's knuckles were white where she gripped the desk. Louise touched her shoulder.

"I don't really feel like being around people at the moment Louise"

The other girl nodded and Rory pulled on her jacket, she'd go for a walk.

She walked behind the main school building, it was getting dark, dinner would be served soon, they'd been working the library after school. She couldn't believe her outburst, the look on his face when he sunk to the floor…_No! This isn't about him! _She furiously kicked a tuft of grass and it flew up in the air. How had everything gone so wrong? In the beginning she'd been just another horrified by-stander, how had she become so inextricably tied up in all of this. It was her own fault she realised, she had signed up for it as soon as she had walked into Tristan's dorm room that day with Jay. She had drawn herself into it, nobody had asked her.

She was so lost to her thoughts that she had wandered towards the woods…Liz's woods. Would they always be thought of that way? In years to come would silly freshman girls tell the horrible story of Elizabeth Belmont, the society princess murdered by her boyfriend's friend? Would they sit cross-legged on their beds in the darkness and tell that she had been visiting her loving boyfriend and was attacked? That on clear nights you can still see her, wandering back from Debalar, always searching for her way home? Would they then all squeal when freshman boys tapped on their windowpane and decided that it was all an urban legend anyway? She shook her head. The woods were imposing, even without Rory's knowledge of what had happened there. She stood on the edge, staring into the thickness, a ragged piece of police tape still flapped from the original police line they had cordoned off around the body.

"This is a pretty morbid place to come and think" Rory jumped when she heard Finn behind her.

"Oh…hey…speak for yourself" He laughed cynically.

"I saw you…it's getting late and it's not safe out here, I'll walk you to dinner"

"I don't want to go," Rory said heavily and Finn put his arm around her.

"Love…I know you feel bad about what you said in the library. But no matter how confronting it may have been for him…I doubt any of it was really news for Tristan deep down"

Rory shrugged but let herself to be led to dinner.

* * *

She and Finn walked in together and made their way to the table the gang was at. Her eyes washed over Tristan but he was busy avoiding the collective gaze of the student body. Rory took a deep breath and sat down next to Madeline who was chipping away at the nail polish she'd applied that afternoon. Matt caught Rory's eye.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm fine," She replied with a finality that made it clear she didn't feel like talking.

The table was silent, it was eerie, they'd never been this quiet together before. Suddenly, as if waking up from a dream, Tristan looked straight at Rory. At first she didn't notice his gaze but eventually she looked up and met his eyes, she started, she'd seen them cold before, icy…but she's never seen them filled with hate. He stood up so quickly that he jolted the table.

"Shit" Madeline muttered as the table barged into her stomach.

Tristan didn't say anything, instead he just stormed off, ignoring the call of the teachers.

A couple of days ago she would have run after him, apologised, but he was the one who'd told her to stay out of his life. She looked up at Finn who avoided her gaze and they settled down to eat, still in silence.

* * *

Tristan was in the gym when Finn found him, killing himself on the treadmill.

"Personally, the punching bag would be my choice if I was as pissed as you are right now," Finn observed.

Tristan didn't say anything but held up his hands, his knuckles were flaming red.

"Oh…been there done that?" Finn asked.

Tristan nodded and kept jogging.

"I know you're pissed and you've got a reason to be…Rory could have chosen a more…discreet time to…"

"To what?" Tristan puffed, "Slander my girlfriend?"

Finn rolled his eyes.

"You love the drama don't you?"

Tristan glared at him.

"Come on Tristan…are you telling me that you never had doubts about Liz? Why did you freak out that night she was jut dancing with me Tristan?"

Tristan glared at him again.

"I'm warning you Morgan, you don't want to go down this line"

"What are you gonna do Tristan? Call me a bitch? Fuck man, Rry did nothing but stand by you"

"She knew!" he screamed back, finally jumping off the treadmill and landing unsteadily.

"You really believe that?" Finn asked, raising his eyebrow.

Tristan picked up his towel and stalked pt him to the showers.

"Go fuck yourself Finn" He called over his shoulder.

"With pleasure" Finn muttered under his breath.

_

* * *

_

_Tristan tapped his foot and was about to leave when she burst through the door, her face flushed._

"_Oh thank God! You're still here!" Liz said, smiling, reaching up to kiss his chin with a giggle._

"_Where were you?" he asked darkly and she stepped back, confused._

"_I…I was out…with friends"_

"_Oh yeah? Who?" _

_Liz held up her arms in self-defense._

"_Hey mister, what's with the twenty-questions?" She asked with a laugh. "I'm here now," She reminded him as she closed the distance between them again and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into his embrace. As he buried his face in her hair he smelt cologne, cologne that wasn't his._

Tristan's eyes snapped open…where had that memory come from? He'd been waiting for her at her house, they were going out to a movie…they had missed it needless to , funny, he'd never found out which "friends" she'd been out with.

* * *

Rory sat outside in the hall. It the first process of Jay's trial. Today they'd decide if he would be let out on bail. She had been excused from school but Louise's parents had refused to let her go. She sat between her parent's. Lorelai was nervously scraping her fingernails down the back of each hand, over and over until pink ridges formed. Rory reached out and took one of her hands in hers and Lorelai smiled down at her. Jay's lawyer, Mr. Crossman, appeared before them.

"It's time," He said to Christopher.

The small family made their way into the courtroom.

Rory didn't understand much of what was said. The prosecutor told the judge that because of the wealth behind him, Jay was a flight risk and given the violent nature of Liz's murder he should not be allowed around teenage girls, which he would be if we were returned home. It was Mr. Crossman who jumped up to remind the judge that a freeze had been enforced on Jay's bank accounts and that he would be home-schooled until the trial.

Rory watched her brother, his head was bent though the whole thing, his shoulders slumped. _Don't give up, _she thought, _I do believe you and so does Louise._ Slowly he turning his seat to stare at her and she smiled weakly. He didn't smile back but she saw the flicker in his eyes.

"Bail is posted at $320, 000" The judge ordered, letting his gavel fall. Lorelai jumped up and grasped Chris's arm.

"Get m baby home!" She commanded him.

It was two hours later that Rory was able to hold her twin for the first time since his arrest. He felt…different, harder. She held him to her until she felt him begin to soften again.

"I've missed you" She whispered.

He patted her hair until Lorelai pulled them apart for her own hug.

* * *

"He made bail!" Rory screamed as she jumped into the room. Louise had been sitting on her bed, picking at her fingernails an trying to watch TV. Now she jumped to her feet.

"How is he? Is he okay?"

Rory nodded, trying not to betray the doubt she felt.

"He made a video for you on his phone," Rory said, handing it to Louise. "So I'll just go busy myself while you watch it" She winked and left the room.

"_Hey Lollie…" _She smiled, he was standing outside somewhere, and he was alone. His long-ish dark-brown hair blew gently in the breeze. _"I guess the kid's told you I'm out on bail…I wanted to make this for you because we won't be able to see each other, it's one of the conditions," _Louise sniffed, _"I wanted to explain to you why I wouldn't see you at the detention centre. I don't want you to be hurt by that but I just…I couldn't see you…not you. And I didn't want you to see me like that. I don't know how this will all work out but I want you to keep believing in me, and I want you and sis to take care of each other." _She was watching through streaming tears now, _"…I love you" _She almost missed those words, they were whisper and he was no longer looking at the phone. When she looked up Rory stood in the doorway,

"Oh Louise," She whispered, crossing to hug her closest friend at the school.

Tristan watched Rory at breakfast the next morning, she was radiant. She and Louise had walked in looking happier than they had in weeks. _Jay must have made bail. _He was standing in line for coffee.

"Two please," He said when his turn came.

Rory and Louise made their way to the group's table and sat down, they had agreed to keep it quiet about Jay, the school would find out soon enough. He had gone home with their parent's the night before and Rory already missed him. She looked up when somebody set a coffee in front of her, Tristan had sat down opposite her. She looked at him questioningly but he was looking away, talking to a girl from History. She looked back down at the coffee and smiled gently.

**AN: _Hope you liked it, the first little sign of reconciliation there, but don't read too much into it. Tristan doesn't really know what he's doing and he may regret his "peace offering" later. Don't forget to R&R!_**


	22. Chapter 21

**AN:_ I'm so glad eveyone is still liking the story! And I'm glad people liked the coffee scene in the last chapter, I thought it was kind of cute. Anyway, here, as promised is the next chapter!_**

_**Litlover:** you might remember that Tristan nearly killed Louise's boyfriend when they were fourteen, he was Matt's cousin. Louise believes that Matt has always blamed her for that and that's why he hates her. She's wrong though._

_Tristan didn't consciously know anything but Finn suggests that he may have known something deep-down and also hints that the rest of the group may have had an idea that Liz was cheating on him as well.  
_

_Who knows how Jay got the necklace? And no, noone's asked the question of why it was out in the open, because it was sort of hidden with paper clips and such._

**Shakamia:** thanks for the advice, it really helped when writing this chapter!

**Karah06:** Thank you so much for your awesome review!

**Jiiana:** piss off then

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG_ - Duh!**_  
_

Tristan left the dining hall with Matt and Finn before the girls were finished. Rory didn't see him until she was at her locker. He stood at his, a few bays down with Matt and Paris. She smiled, touched by his simple gesture at breakfast. Slinging her satchel into her locker and staggering under the weight of her books for class she started off down the hall.

"Hey guys…ready for class?" She asked quickly.

Matt nodded and Paris rolled her eyes.

"Am I ever not?"

Rory shrugged and turned to Tristan.

"How about you?"

He looked down at her blankly and silently turned to walk into class.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Rory said bitterly as she took her seat between Paris and Madeline.

Madeline looked down at her bare desk and Paris played with her fingernails.

"Okay, what? What! Paris you _never _pick at your nails! What?"

Paris sighed.

"Well Rory…you can hardly blame him"

"What!" Rory hissed.

"You told him in front of everybody that his girlfriend cheated on him, it _was _pretty tactless," Madeline said quietly, her eyes still trained on her desk.

"Ooh and _you're _the height of tact Madeline" Rory scoffed.

Madeline rolled her eyes and raised her arms in self-defense.

"All I'm saying is that you didn't have to do that. You've shattered ever image he had of Liz as the perfect girl he loved. You could have just kept it to yourself but you wanted t get back at him"  
Rory rolled her eyes but Paris jumped in,

"She's right Rory, he loved Liz long before you came along. She changed him, she was good for him and knowing him for a few weeks no matter how close you this you may have become doesn't give you the right to do that. Sometimes it's not enough for things just to be the truth"

"But he accused me of knowing about Jay…he believes Jay's guilty"

"A lot of people do," Madeline interceded.

Rory whipped her head around to face her.

"Excuse me?"

"Well the evidence is compelling is all, I'm not saying _I _think he did it…" Madeline stammered, realising what she had said.

It was too late though, Rory had jumped to her feet, collecting her books.

"Rory," Paris called as she ran from the room. In his seat up the back Tristan smiled.

* * *

Rory's shoulders shook with each sob as she sat on the low wall running around the interior courtyard.

"Rory,"

She didn't lift her head when she heard the deep voice, instead she swiped quickly at her face in a vain attempt to make it look as though she hadn't been crying. He was standing in front of her.

"Come on, let's get out of this place, I'll take you into town for lunch," He offered.

She nodded, slowly getting to her feet and letting Matt take her hand.

He drove to a café. She didn't know what she was doing with him, she didn't like him, she had a feeling she knew who she _really _liked…maybe this would get a reaction out of him, dating his roommate. She tried to smile maliciously but fell short of it. The ordered lunch but it was over coffee that they really talked.

"Do you believe your brother?" Matt asked

"Of course I do," Rory replied, annoyed he'd even ask that.

"As fervently as you believed Tristan?"

She stayed silent, she couldn't…wouldn't answer that. Matt smirked.

"So if Jay didn't do it…and Tristan didn't do it, who did?" He pushed on.

Rory shifted uncomfortably in her seat and took another sip of her coffee.

"A stranger," she finally said.

Matt looked up at her, he thought she wasn't going to answer, was going to withdraw again.

"A stranger," She repeated, "…someone she didn't know…who didn't know her."

* * *

Matt dropped Rory off at the main school building before driving to Debelar to park. He smiled t himself, he liked her, and she was a nice girl. He'd liked Liz too. She'd been more beautiful if not as intelligent as Rory. And she had been a nice girl as well, she didn't sleep around, didn't a guy according to his bank balance, didn't drink too much, didn't dance like a cheap slut. When she'd been with Tristan she'd been perfect, even with the midnight rendezvous' Matt was forced to camp out in the common room for. Of course, that was before he'd found out about Justin. He'd walked in on them at a Del Sol party one weekend Tristan had been away. At first Matt had been confused, he'd thought Justin had attacked her only a few months before. But then it had dawned on him, he'd realised…she was just like all those other girls. She had begged him not to tell Tristan, had told him she'd do _anything, _but he was disgusted by her, he didn't want her anywhere near him. He'd never promised her he wouldn't tell and had enjoyed watching her walking on eggshells for the first few weeks. Eventually though, she realised, he'd never tell. He'd never tell.

* * *

"Rory!"

Rory turned when she heard Louise's voice. She killed her smile before it could appear, she was beginning to feel like Tristan, not knowing who her friends were.

"Where were you?" Louise asked, she had heard about what had happened that morning.

"I was in town, with Matt. He took me out for lunch"

Louise fell into silent step next to Rory on their way to class.

"So you guys are dating?"

Rory shrugged.

"Rory you can't!" Louise burst out.

Rory turned,

"Why not?"

"He's strange…there's something wrong with him"

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

Hurriedly, Louise told her about her run-in with Matt in the common room of Debelar.

"It's like he's bi-polar," Louise concluded, "You never known what you're going to get with him. One moment he's your best friend, the next he's turned on you. And once h turns on you, he never backs down. He's hated me for years. Sure, you guys don't see it, it's only ever behind closed doors with him."

"I think you're over-reacting" Rory told her as they arrived at Chilton's hall, but she had to admit, there was something about Matt that was not quite right, something in those lovely green eyes.

* * *

"How was your date?" Tristan asked bitterly when Matt made it to his locker. Tristan had seen them leaving together, had watched them come back. Matt just shrugged and grinned. He looked like a wolf when he did that, Tristan thought, with those green eyes.

"I had fun, she's a great girl,"

Tristan clenched his fists, fighting the urge to beat the grin of his friend's face.

* * *

Rory and Louise made their way to Theatre Studies. The teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, had been freaking out lately, after Liz and with Jay in jail, she'd had to replace her two leads. Tristan had been offered the role of John Proctor next to Paris as Elizabeth and Summer had taken over as Abigail Williams.

"Well that's fitting," Louise said dryly, "…at least we won't have to sit through her _attempting _to play a bitch."

Rory giggled. Louise was playing Mary Warren with Rory as Ruth Putnam. All they had to do really was a lot of dancing and screaming and carrying on. It was rehearsal day although they didn't go live for another few weeks.

Rory stood backstage, watching the Jason hopelessly trying to invoke the character of Reverand Hale while an African-American girl Rory thought was named Cassie was loudly proclaiming that she only had to play Tituba "because I'm black!" through a break in the curtains.

"You know," Matt said behind her, "I never got my end-of-date kiss." His breath caressed her ear lobe but she felt repulsed. She blushed and turned to face him. When she did he saw his chance, leaning forward and capturing her lips with his. She tried to pull away but when she did his arms wrapped tightly around her. She had her hands pushed against his chest, trying to pull away when she saw Tristan behind Matt, staring at them coldly. Finally she pushed Matt away and, after giving him a filthy look, made her way out to the front of the stage.

Tristan had taken centre stage, and, surrounded by his accusers had fallen to his knees.

"Because it's my name!" He cried, his eyes imploring them silently. "Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies!" He pounded the floor with his fist and Rory jumped. "Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of hem that hang!"

Rory cool eyes washed over him. He spread his arms.

"How may I live without my name?" He cried, staring at Summer now, at _his _accuser. "I have given you my soul; leave me my name"

As she watched him, his chest heaving as he drew in as much breath as he could, his shoulders hunched and his eyes red she doubted that Arthur Kennedy had been as convincing on Broadway in 1953.

**AN: _My year 12 class performed "The Crucible" for Theatre Studies, and when I started writing this I thought it would be so perfect given the content matter, especially that scene with Tristan as John Proctor, speaking directly at Summer. R&R!_**

****


	23. Chapter 22

**AN: _Woo! Coming towards some semblence of an ending now, powering on! I can't believe people are still reading! It's awese though. A littel bad news though, I'm going away forthe weekend to the country where they look at you like you're an alien if you ask where teh nearest internet cafe is. My cousins and I go every year to a town called Rutherglen where they do the annual "Winery Walkabout". Basically, we hire a mini-bus, a designated driver, and visit 29 wineries between Saturday and Monday. We come home completely sloshed but we love it! So you probably won't see an update until Monday night, jsut wanted to wanr you so you don't think I abandoned you. _  
**

"What happened between Tristan and Summer?" Rory asked as she lay on her stomach on her bed that night. Louise didn't answer straight away and Rory looked up, it was unlike her not to want to gossip. Louise sighed.

"Um…they were together, for a while…probably each other's first boyfriend and girlfriend. About the time that Mike and I were together"

Rory was shocked, she hadn't seen that coming. Tristan had been with Liz's best friends before her.

"So what happened?"

Louise half-shrugged.

"Well Summer sure hates him now…did he cheat on her?"

"Not exactly"

"Well what then?"

"I don't know the whole story…it's only rumours"

Rory snorted.

"Since when do you not know the whole story"

"I really think this is something you should talk to Tristan about"

Rory snorted again.

"Yeah, good luck with that, he hates me"

* * *

Tristan drew back against the cigarette, it was an old habit he'd taken up again. It was cold outside on the edge of the woods where he stood. They all used to go down there to smoke when they were younger, into the woods, deep into them where there was a rotting, overturned log filled with stubbed-out cigarette butts from that time. He doubted that anybody would be going back into the woods to smoke any time soon. There wasn't a student in the school who didn't know exactly where Liz's body had been found. The police tape had flapped at the entrance of the woods exactly between Debalar and DuGrey, Liz had been lying just inside the woods. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to think about other things.

He had been given the role of John Proctor in place of Jay, and Summer was now Liz's Abigail. It was somehow fitting. He thought about his lines earlier that day,

_Because it's my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!…I have give you my soul; leave me my name!_

He had been speaking those lines to Summer, he knew, she knew it, hell the whole class had known it. Summer had tried to take his name after they broke up, and she had tried to take it again over Liz. It was her revenge, her payback. He had invoked John Proctor, but he had been speaking for himself…_I have given you my soul; leave me my name. _Was that true? Did he give Summer his soul when he was fifteen? Or had she wrenched it from him. He shook his head, this line of thinking wasn't much of an improvement on his last. He had been trying not to let his mind wander down this track for nearly three years, but today had brought it all back up.

"This is a pretty morbid place to come and think,"

Tristan winced when he heard that voice.

* * *

Rory stood behind him, saying the words that Finn had said to her the week before. She watched as he finished his cigarette and crushed it beneath his boot. Slowly, so slowly she held her breath, he turn to face her. His face was haggard, he looked tired, tired and…deflated, that was it. He looked as though something so heavy was weighing him down.

"What are you doing here?"

"Tristan, please…don't turn away, let me…" She began, knowing that he would probably shut down again, walk away. He held up his hand to silence her.

"It's not safe out here"

"Oh…I thought…" She trailed off.

"You thought I was going to ignore you, say something cruel?"

She didn't answer his question, instead she took a step closer to him, praying silently he would take a step back. He didn't move. His arms hung lifelessly by his side, his hands balled into loose fists. He turned his eyes to the ground, an almost wistful look came over his features, making him look a little more peaceful.

"What are _you _doing out here?"

"Just thinking" He replied.

"You were great today…in Theatre"

He shrugged.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't difficult to play that part." He said ruefully.

"Because of people accusing you?" She asked quietly, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket. It was cold and her breath came out in little white puffs. She resisted the urge to purse her lips and pretend she was smoking like she used to when she was younger. She had looked away, into the woods, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod gently.

"That…"  
"And? It's something to do with Summer…what happened between you two?"

"I did something terrible"

"It couldn't have been that bad"

He laughed coldly and threw his head back. Rory just stared at him until suddenly he closed the gap between them. Leaning over her, his breath hot in contrast to the cold air he whispered,

"You don't know me"

Rory narrowed her eyes.

"Then tell me! Tell me instead of going back into this shell Tristan! I want to know you! I old you that he night I went to your house!" She put her hands on his chest and pushed him y from her.

"You're such an asshole! Do you just _want _to be mysterious? Is that it? You want to be tortured and angsty?" Her voice was shrill.

He was staring at her as though transfixed and she narrowed her eyes.

"I wanted to be your friend but I can't be when you just shut down like this! When you push me away!"

He grabbed her arm and she jumped as he began to drag her away from the woods. Tripping over her own feet as he stormed off she managed t get out:

"What are you doing?"

"We're not having this conversation here," he told her quietly, his voice hard. He led her to Debalar, the housemother was at her desk. He sighed heavily and turned to her.

"If you want answers, go to my dorm window and I'll let you in," He said before entering the building and greeting Mrs. Schmidt.

* * *

Did she want the answers he promised her? Now that it was a reality she wasn't so sure. Her confidence of a few moments ago dissipated as she dawdled to his window. Finally she stood outside it. Tristan stood on the other side, he had thrown the window open.

"Well?" He demanded curtly.

She swallowed. Sighing she hoisted herself up to the window sill an climbed in, at least he was talking to her.

"I'm not a nice person Rory…at least, I haven't been," He was sprawled on his back on his bed, she sitting cross-legged on Matt's bed. "I was with Summer when we were fourteen…we broke up when I was fifteen. She'd been cheating on me with every guy in town the fucking bitch."

Somehow, Rory wasn't surprised. He shifted so that his hands were under his head. He looked almost carefree as he told the story.

"After we broke up, she hounded me, called me all the time, wrote letters, waited outside classes. I ignored everything, wouldn't have anything to do with her. Then, one day her father showed up at my house. Turns out his little darling was pregnant,"

Rory gasped and Tristan looked over at her, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Oh wait," He said with a laughed, "…it gets _so _much better. She claimed it was _mine_. Of course, she would, none of the other guys she was sleeping with had a surname that could match DuGrey," He was struggling to keep the bitterness out his voice. "I denied it, I denied it as loudly as I could. I mean, I knew it wasn't my kid…right?"

Rory was slowly shaking her head and he laughed.

"So her daddy starts legal proceedings, DNA tests namely. She was a few weeks by then. Of course, the DNA tests...well, I was wrong, amazingly, she managed to get pregnant to me.""

Without noticing, Roy was biting her thumbnail over and over, wishing she'd never started this ball rolling. His eyes were sparkling, but not in the way they did when he genuinely smiled, instead they looked glassy, malicious.

"Her father started making demands, money first and foremost, the _business _side of things. And then they came up with the idea we _stay together_. Of course they couldn't marry us off, but they could send us away together...get us out of Hartford until we were old enough to be irresponsible in the eyes of society. Her dad was talking about us going to London where not so many people would know us, we could raise the kid, marry, come back…sure people w still know but it'd more _respectable _somehow in his eyes. I couldn't let that happen Rory, I _couldn't_" He suddenly sat up to face her, leaning forward to make his point.

"I didn't even like her that much when we were together and there was no way I could do what her father wanted…"

"Tristan…" Rory began quietly, "…what did you do?"

He hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I got her alone at school, told her we could get back together…she was so happy. A few days later I lay on this bed with her and convinced her to get an abortion. She cried at first and refused. I don't know whether it was because she really wanted the baby or if it was because she wanted to do what her father said. But I pushed on, I _insisted, _I was _fifteen _for fuck's sake. I was terrified and I was beginning to fall for Liz. I didn't want a _baby _and I didn't see any other way. My father was agreeing with hers and I knew it would be the end of my life if that happened. In the end I drove her to the clinic, paid and waited for her to come out. I told her parent's she lost the baby…Liz backed that up, I don't know if she knew the real story, she hadn't known Summer was pregnant. Summer stayed away from school for a long time. By the time she came back if she hadn't figured out I didn't want her, she would have…I was with another girl…you know Cassie? From theatre?" He looked up to see tears streaming down Rory's face.

"Remember that night you asked if Summer hated me enough to go to the police?"

Rory nodded, her hands covering her face.

"Well now you understand why…you see? I'm not a nice person. Try justifying what I've done in my life. The only thing I did right was Liz and me, and even that got fucked up" He stood up. "Well Rory? Are you happy now you know a little more about me?"

She was silently sobbing on the bed. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet.

"How do you feel about that? Are you going to tell me I was just a kid? That it wasn't my fault?"

She looked up at him.

"How dare you question my morality" She whispered and he laughed.

"Don't take the high-ground with me"

She reached up to slap him but he grabbed her hand, turned her so that her back was against the wall. Holding her hands above her with one of his, he pinned her there, lowering his face to hers. Her heart started to race and he smirked.

"So what's your dirty little secret Mary?"

She swallowed dryly and he crushed his lips to hers. She wanted to b disgusted, wanted to be able to push him away, to slap him but in stead she found herself kissing him back as he ran his left hand to the small of her back, pulling her violently against him. He trailed his kisses to her throat and she groaned.

"What's your secret?" He whispered.

She arched her back and he raised his eyebrow and readjusted his grip on her hands, running his other hand down to the waistband of her jeans, in what seemed like mere seconds Rory realised somewhere in her mind that the buttons were undone and he was touching her. Her eyes widened and he smirked against her lips. He kissed her again and bit down on her bottom lip as his finger entered her, she moaned in pain and pleasure.

Matt couldn't believe what he saw when he opened the door…it was happening all over again. He brought his hands to his temples.

"You slut!" He roared.

Tristan and Rory both jumped, brought back to earth by Matt framed in the doorway. Tristan glared at him and let Rory's hands go. He stood in front of her, bearing the brunt of Matt's anger and she quickly did up her pants, her face flushed. She wondered why she wasn't as horrified as she should have been but her mind still wasn't working properly. She drew her finger up to her lip, it came back with blood on it from where Tristan had bitten her. She licked it away.

"Get over it Matt" Tristan said simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

Matt advanced into the room, slamming the door after him, he glared at Rory where she stood behind Tristan,

"I thought you were _different!_" He cried.

She stared at him, shocked at the pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Matt…I"

He clutched his fists to his temples.

"Matt calm down, you're turning into a queen" Tristan said menacingly.

Matt shoved him and Tristan jostled Rory who jumped out of the way as Tristan launched himself on Matt. He grabbed Matt's shoulders and shoved him back. Matt threw a punch but Tristan blocked it.

"Stop it!" Rory screamed. Tristan turned to look at her but when he did Mat threw a left hook. Tristan clutched his eye.

"You fucking crazy asshole!" He cried at Matt who shook his fist. Tristan let go of his eye, the entire area was pink. Matt ignored him and turned to Rory.

"You're nothing but a cheap slut like the rest of them," He hissed at her and she recoiled.

Suddenly the memory of what Louise had told her that day popped into her head.

_"It's like he's bi-polar," Louise concluded, "You never known what you're going to get with him. One moment he's your best friend, the next he's turned on you. And once he turns on you, he never backs down."_

"Leave Rory," Tristan said simply.

She took another glance at he guys and climbed out of the window.

**AN:_ Finally! Some TRORY action! I know tristan's being a real ass and some people might be pretty pissed about his character in this ut on se subconscious level he's simultaneously blaming himself over Summer and__ trying to push Rory away. If anybody was confused, when he was thinking about having given Summer his soul, he was meaning that Summer is always going to have some power over him because__ of his guilt over what he did to her. He'll never be able to let go of it, or, to some extent, her. Remeber to R&R and please don't hate me.  
_**


	24. Chapter 23

**AN: _I know I said no more updates 'til Monday but I couldn't help myself. I'm putting off writing my essay and what better way to do that than update. Here's a question though, I've also written the next chapter but it ends a tad abruptly nd you'll be left hanging then. Do you want me to post it or would you rather I wait until Monday so I can update quickly from it?  
_**

**_Holy Cross Baby: _**_you're right, it's more Smmer being manipulative. Although, of course, she went though alot, my guess is that she regretted the abortion later on and so, blamed him so he, in turn, blamed himself._

**_photobooth romance: _**_I'm glad his behaviour is making sense, I'm busy trying to pull it all together now. _

_**Thank you to everybody who's still reviewing it warms my little heart!**  
_

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG_**

Rory lay in bed. Louise had still been awake when Rory came in but she was flipping through Cosmo and barely registered Rory quietly getting ready for bed.

She felt hot all over, she was still tingling from his touch and her heart hadn't yet slowed down. Ho could he do this? How could he make her feel this? She'd never felt this way before. She shook her head miserably in the dark. She couldn't go down this road, she couldn't fall for him. He was inestimably screwed up, he was angry, he pushed her away at every chance. He'd shown nothing attractive about his character. What she'd learned about him in the past few weeks should have her running for the hills. So why did she still smile when she thought about the way his eyes sparkled when she received one of his rare smiles? When she imagined the feel of his palm lying gently against her cheek? Was she imagining the good in him?

She shivered, she didn't know if it was remembering the feel of him against her, or the anger in Matt's eyes. She thought again about what Louise had said. He had turn tonight, she'd something in him that frightened her, frightened her more than Tristan ever had. _Oh God, I'm never going to sleep._ Yet slowly her exhaustion overtook her.

* * *

Tristan was sporting a superb shiner the next morning in class. She hadn't seen him in breakfast, or Matt for that matter. He smirked at her as he walked past, taking a seat next to a girl named Jacqui. He touched her cheek, brushing a strand of hair from her face and Rory found her eyes riveted on him, jealousy bubbling up inside her. He turned and smirked at her when he caught her watching him. She blushed as Paris raised her hand.

"I have an announcement for the class," She told Mr. Cybula, their math teacher.

He nodded wearily, he had given up fighting Paris' interruptions a long time ago, he had that defeated look of somebody completely and utterly disenchanted with his job. Paris took centre stag at the head of the class.

"I was speaking to Mrs. Kennedy this morning, and she has requested that all Theatre Studies students stay on campus this weekend to prepare for opening night,"

There was chorus of groans, from Rory included, she had been looking forward to spending the weekend with her twin. Paris pushed on,

"Practices will start after school this afternoon in the hall…costumes are arriving tonight."

"Thank you Paris," Mr. Cybula said with resignation and Paris nodded, taking her seat.

"It'll be good," Paris said, "Almost everyone from our group project is in the class, we'll be able o get heaps of work done. We'll only be missing Madeline and Finn. And let's face it, they're not that much help"

Rory smirked, wait, when did she start smirking?

* * *

Rory scowled at herself in the mirror of the girls' dressing room. She looked like an f-ing idiot in her costume. She looked like, like a pilgrim! As though she'd just stepped off the Mayflower. Louise was busy trying to hike her frumpy black dress up so that she could show some seventeenth century leg and Paris glared at her.

"Louise!" She snapped, "Mary Warren was _not _a Playboy Bunny!"

Rory snickered and Louise looked non-plussed.

"Well she danced _naked _in the woods Paris, obviously she wasn't _that _innocent!" She retorted in a _Duh _voice.

Paris rolled her eyes. Rory jumped when she heard Mrs. Kennedy's voice booming from the hall.

"Time's a wasting people!"

"I swear to God that woman never needs a microphone" She muttered as they hurried into the hall.

She tried to listen to their teacher as she went over the itinerary for that day, she really did, but she kept finding herself drawn to Tristan, staring at him openly. He looked up once and caught her, she expected his smirk but instead she saw a different look in his eyes. His mouth was set in a grim line, concealing the full lips that has smothered hers the night before, but his eyes, they washed over her as though they didn't even notice the dowdy navy blue sack that made her into Ruth Putnam. They locked eyes and neither heard Mrs. Kennedy as she roared at Tristan to get hi butt on stage. Suddenly he seemed to snap out of the trance and he bounded up the stairs.

Being Ruth Putnam meant a lot of sitting around pretending to read her book while she waited to be called up to the stage. That was, until the disruption.

"Well, well, well…Mr. Mulchrone, so nice of you to grace us with your presence," Mrs. Kennedy roared as Matt sauntered in.

"Thank you," He replied oafishly and a few of the kids giggled.

He stared over at Rory and she shifted under his intense gaze. Up on stage Tristan's blood boiled.

"Take your seat Mr. Mulchrone!" Mrs. Kennedy snapped.

Matt took a seat behind Louise and Rory, a couple of rows back and kicked his legs up on the seat in front of him. Louise nudged Rory.

"Hey…do you want to sneak back to Hartford this weekend?" She whispered so quietly that Rory almost missed it.

"What?" She exclaimed, "We can't do that,"

"Sure we can…please Rory, I _have _to see Jay…I'm going nuts not being able to talk to him"

"He's not allowed to see you," Rory hissed, "It's a violation of his bail."

"We'll be careful, please, _please!_"

The urgency in her voice softened Rory.

"You really like him don't you?"

Louise nodded miserably.

"He's the first guy I've really liked since Mike"

"Okay, okay…I'll see," Louise settled back just as they were called up to practice.

* * *

It was just the Theatre kids at dinner that night, occupying one table in the cavernous dining hall. Mrs. Kennedy had convinced the school to order pizza and Rory lifted her fourth slice to her mouth. Summer was siting across from her watching with a look of disgust on her face. She hadn't eaten anything yet.

"I don't know how you can eat like such a _pig _Rory Gilmore-Hayden,"

Rory rolled her eyes, her mouth full and Louise jumped in.

"Well she doesn't have the sort of figure she needs to watch does she Summer Roberts?"

Paris and Tristan laughed and Summer glared at her.

"Well at least I'm not dating a rapist murderer _Louise_"

The table fell silent, slices of pizza half lifted to open mouths dripped melted cheese as everyone waited to see what would happen. Summer smiled triumphantly as Rory and Louise stood up and stormed out of the dining hall.

"That was uncalled for Miss Roberts" Mrs. Kennedy spat as she hurried after the girls.

"Alleged, Summer, alleged…get it right. The trial hasn't even begun," Tristan said quietly, returning his attention to his food.

"Yeah, alleged by you Tristan!"

"No, not alleged by me Summer, alleged by evidence which could have gotten there any number of ways! And I'll remind _you _that you've made your own fair share of _allegations _in your time" He threw his pizza slice down and left as well, Summer staring open-mouthed at his treating back.

* * *

As he left the dining hall he leaned his head against the wall. Why did he just stand up for his girlfriend's murderer? Was it because he was Rory's brother. _Stupid, it's because you don't really believe he did it! _Whoa, where did that thought come from? He felt as though his world was spinning out of control. He was starting to believe that none of this would _ever _be over. Those had been his words to Rory when they'd heard the news in the car. _It's finally over, _but it wasn't, it was far from anything remotely resembling over. Then they'd been so happy, hadn't even cared that they were in the back of a police car heading for the station, hadn't cared if they were expelled from school. They were together and they were free from everything Liz's death had begun. But now, so much had happened, his ideas about his life had bee completely shattered, and not only by Rory's outburst in the library. It had been earlier than that, it had even been before _she_ arrived at the school. _Her, _the catalyst for his fight with Liz that made her leave that night. The walk home that didn't take her home at all. Liz had known, somewhere that they were coming to an end. That Tristan had woken up one morning and realised that the future they'd planned wasn't all he wanted in life.

He banged his head against the wall, trying to knock some sense into himself, gingerly he touched his black eye. After he'd told Rory to leave he'd turned back to Matt who was still shaking with anger.

_"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you Mulchrone, but you need to get it together! You had one drunken kiss at a party and you think you're married to her!"_

_Matt had launched himself at Tristan again, tackled him onto his bed. Tristan was strong but Matt was bigger and had the element of surprise. Before Tristan could do anything, Matt's hands were around his throat._

_"She was different! She was nice until you got to her! You ruin everything! You ruin everyone!" He screamed, pressing his fingers harder into Tristan's flesh._

_He choked and Matt had looked down at him, his eyes flickering. Tristan gripped Matt's arms, trying to push him away. All Tristan could see was Matt's eyes above him, everything else was turning black as those strong fingers gripped him. Finally he used all his strength to roll off the bed, flinging Matt off him. Tristan jumped to his feet unsteadily, coughing and spluttering, clutching his throat._

_"You crazy fuck!"_

_Matt stood up, panting as hard as Tristan, he glared at him, saying nothing before he turned and left the room, slamming the door shut._

_He didn't know where Matt had stayed, didn't care. Since then they'd maintained a stony silence. What was happening to the life that had seemed to set just a few weeks before?_

* * *

Louise was in tears before they even got out of the dining hall.

"I didn't realise everybody felt like that 'til just now," She sobbed on Rory's shoulder. "I…I…I thought everybody believed him, like us. It was so stupid of me!" She stammered between sobs as Rory hugged her. Finally she stepped back, swiping furiously at the tears that ran down her face. "I'm sorry Rory, I shouldn't be crying like this,"

"Hey…never apologise for the way you feel," Rory said, remembering the day her father had said that to her.

The dining hall doors burst open and Mrs. Kennedy stormed out. The girls sprang apart.

"Girls, I am so sorry about that…rest assured that Summer Roberts will not go unpunished for that remark," Rory nodded, slipping her arm around Louise's shoulders. Mrs. Kennedy softened, "Rory, Louise, how about we finish up rehearsals for tonight, go back to your rooms and get some sleep, we'll see you in the morning."

* * *

But there was no sleeping, instead they were driving silently out the Chilton gates with the car lights off. They reached Hartford in cord time, breaking only a few speed limits. They parked a little while before Rory's house and crept up the drive. Rory pulled out her cell and dialed Jays.

"Hey butthead, it's me, Rory…come outside"

"What?" Jay asked sleepily.

"Come outside, I have a present for you," She repeated with a sly smile at Louise who blushed.

"What are you talking about?" He persisted.

"Ugh jut come downstairs, open the door and walk out idiot!" She hissed, stomping her foot.

A few minutes later Jay cautiously opened the door and peered out. When he saw Louise and Rory he threw the door open and ran out to meet them.

"What the fuck are you doing here!" He cried and their smiles dropped. "This violates my parole! Are you stupid?"

Louise looked crestfallen.

"I…I just wanted to see you," She whimpered and he softened.

He held out one arm and she ran to him, closing the distance in seconds. He wrapped his arms around her ad kissed her forehead, making eye contact with Rory who smiled.

"I'm sorry guys, it's just I was expecting a lynch mob or something,"

Rory shrugged and Louie snuggled closer to him.

Rory crept upstairs to her room to give them some time together, but it could only be a flying trip. She found a couple of books she'd been missing and a jumper she wanted.

* * *

Jay touched Louise's cheek softly.

"How's everything going?"

"It's horrible without you," She said quietly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You just be careful, and Rory too…there's somebody on that campus who's killed before, it must have been somebody there, they put that fucking necklace on my desk,"

Louise felt him bristle with anger and she ran her hand down his arm, trying to calm him, he looked down at her with concern.

"I mean it Lollie,"

"Who would do that?"

"Matt Mulchrone," Jay said without thinking.

Louise pulled away suddenly.

"What! Are you serious?"

Jay pulled her closer to him.

"I don't know, I was thinking out loud. He had no motive but he and Finn are the only guys who spend that much time in my room,"

Louise's eyes were wide.

"What?" Jay asked, worry evident in his voice. "What is it?"

"Rory," Louise whispered.

"What about her?"

"She an Matt…"

"What!" Jay roared before he caught himself. Lowering his voice again he hissed, "What about them?"

Louise looked everywhere but him until he grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him.

"They…they kissed at a party last week and they went on a date yesterday"

Jay cursed.

"I don't trust him Lollie…he came to the detention centre to see me and was talking about how he believed me, and just knew I couldn't do a thing like that. But there was this look in his eyes," Jay stared at his feet, "He was laughing at me, inside, just laughing…the cops won't listen though."

Louise cupped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God Jay,"

"Just stay away from him"

Louise nodded.

"Of course,"

"And make sure Rory does too,"

Louise nodded again as Rory appeared.

"We have to go," She whispered.

Rory waited in the car as Louise and Jay said goodbye.

"You remember what I said," He told her. He was holding her left hand and cupping her cheek with his right, se was in tears again. She nodded.

"I will,"

He pulled her to him again, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her head in his neck before tilting it up to kiss him. He kissed her back.

"I love you," She whispered, turning quickly and running to the waiting car.

Jay stood in the driveway, watching the car drive off…she loved him.

**AN:****_ There you go, hope you liked it! Don't forget to R&R to let me know if you want another update. It's just sitting in my documents folder, all alone with noone to love it - Bye!_**


	25. Chapter 24

**AN: _Okay guys, you asked for it, hopefully the final update before Monday. _**

_**sophiefreak:** thank you so much, I think at first the story may have put people off because it was different, but I'm glad to hear people like it now!_

_**LoVe23:** um...I knew the basic plot when I started writing but it snowballed from there. I've been lucky with it because little nuances in th characterisation have allowed me to expand it without ruining it. I knew the basic characters and plot-line. Originally I wasn't going to have a definable murderer, and Tristan and Summer was a new addition. So were Liz and Justin. I'm glad you're liking it! You're one of my best reviewers._

_**photobooth romance: **Tristan didn't report the incident because he had a girl in his room. That was forbidden before but since Liz was killed they've been much more strict on it. Although its sort of one of these things of "if we can't see it we assume you're not doing so just don't let us catch you." If he'd told on Matt, Matt probably would have told on him and Rory.   
_

**Disclaimer: I think we can all learn to accept that I don't own _GG_**

Rory and Louise parked the car silently in front of Debalar instead of DuGrey building and walked back. Louise was wrestling with whether or not to say anything to Rory about what Jay had told her. But for some reason alarm bells rang whenever she contemplated it. They were silent until they got back the building. The front door was locked.

"Shit," Rory muttered, hurrying to the ground-floor common room window. Before she even tried it she knew it would be locked She leaned against the bricks. She knew that all this sneaking out would come back to bite her. Pulling out her cell she dialed Paris' number, she answered on the first ring.

"Where the hell have you been?" She demanded.

"Paris can you please just come down to the ground floor common room and open the window?" Rory hung up the phone before Paris could reply. A few minutes later the blonde's stern face appeared on the other side of the window. She wrenched it open and Louise and Rory climbed through.

"You two are _so _lucky I like you. I had to _lie _to Mrs. Kennedy when she came around to do the checks!"

The housemothers had gone home for the weekend so Mrs. Kennedy was staying in DuGrey in her place. Rory sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose.

"What did you tell her?"

Paris inspected her nails.

"I told her you were both in the shower! Luckily I'd already realised you were missing so I turned the showers on, the bathroom so fogged she couldn't even see,"

Louise breathed a sighed of relief.

"But that doesn't explain where you were" Paris repeated.

"We were in Hartford okay?" Rory snapped, she was tired and wasn't in the mood.

"Hartford!"

"We went to see Jay"

Paris fell silent before asking softly:

"How is he?"

"He's as good as can be expected," Rory replied, making her way upstairs. She fell into bed but once again, couldn't sleep.

* * *

They rehearsed the entire play from beginning to end the next day. They were in the middle of John Proctor's hanging scene when Matt found Rory. She felt him before she saw him.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly, she hadn't forgiven him for what she'd seen the other night.

He looked at her sadly.

"I want to give you another chance" He said quietly, looking at his feet.

She laughed at him.

"Matt I don't _want _another chance from you!"

"I thought you were different"

"So you said,"

He grabbed her arm and she jumped before turning to face him again,

"Let me go,"

"I'm sorry about the other night"

"So am I"

"Really?" He asked hopefully and Rory sighed.

"Not like that Matt…I'm sorry that you overreacted, I'm sorry you showed your true colours and I'm sorry you hit Tristan"

He dropped her arm and stepped back, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

"But I like you,"

"Matt, I'm sorry, but I don't like you that way" _I don't like you any way! _She felt like screaming.

"What about our kiss…at the party?"

"I was drunk, I'm sorry"

"No,"

"Yes," She said firmly.

"You're just like _her_" He said, his voice full of wonder and realisation.

"Like who?" Rory asked.

"Liz" He whispered, she barely heard him.

Rory paled when she realised what he'd said but Louise appeared at her side then, dragging her onto the stage.

* * *

They were free to leave for lunch. Paris approached Rory and Louise gingerly. She wasn't as insensitive as people thought and she was worried that Rory was still pissed about their conversation in class on Thursday.

"D you guys want to go into town?" She asked.

Louise smiled.

"Sounds good to me, Rory?"

Rory nodded absentmindedly and the three set off. Paris drove.

"So Jay's doing okay?" She asked again, Rory nodded.

"Yeah," Rory said quietly as she stared out the window, "I mean…no, he's not, not really. It's just so frightening, and everybody thinking he did it."

"Not everybody thinks he did it" Paris said as she changed down a gear coming into town.

Rory looked over and smiled at her.

"You believe him?" Paris nodded,

"And I think Tristan's having doubts as well"

"What?" Rory and Louise asked at the same time.

Paris shrugged.

"Last night, after you guys left dinner, Tristan told Summer that Jay was only accused. When Summer told him he'd done the accusing he said he hadn't and that it was only the necklace that linked him to it" She swung her car into a narrow car park and began to climb out, leaving a stunned Rory in the passenger seat. Tristan had stood up for Jay, she couldn't understand it. Was he beginning to believe her?

They had lunch in a different café than the one they normally went to.

"Well that was tasteless" Paris concluded when she finished her Mediterranean foccaccia.

Rory shrugged, her cheeseburger hadn't been any worse than any other cheeseburger. Paris checked her watch.

"We'd better go, we've only got half an hour before we're due back.

* * *

Throughout the rest of the afternoon she tried to catch Tristan's eye but he was methodically ignoring her. He knew she was watching him, waiting, but he wouldn't give in and meet her glances. At five o'clock Mrs. Kennedy clapped her "man hands" as Louise had dubbed them weeks before.

"All right, that's it for today, go and get changed and remembered to hang up your costumes! For anyone who's interested I'll be hosting a movie night at Debalar in the ground-floor common room after dinner. I'll see you all in the dining hall at six thirty!"

The kids dispersed, chattering on their way to the changing rooms. Summer owned the conversation once they got there, she was telling anyone who would listen – which was every girl but Rory, Paris and Louise – how perfect she was for the role of Abigail.

"Tell me about it," Rory muttered hopping on one foot and trying to dislodge her foot from the horrible black brogues fixed with a huge tin-foil buckle. Paris smiled wryly and finished unpinning her hair from the plaits Mrs. Kennedy had coiled it in.

"Are we going to the movie night?" Louise asked.

"I'm not," Paris said, "too much homework…speaking of, I'd better get going" She hurried off with a brusque wave over her left shoulder. Rory and Louise dawdled.

"I don't want to," Rory said, "I don't want to see Matt"

"Oh?" Louise asked, trying not to sound overly interested, "you don't like him anymore?"

"Try never really did…you're right there's something really N.Q.R about him"

Louise nodded in satisfaction.

"Tell me about it," She mumbled.

Rory saw Tristan leaving the hall.

"Give me a minute, I'll meet you back at the dorm" She told Louise.

Louise nodded and set off.

"Tristan!" she called.

He stopped and turned, waiting for her to catch up with him. He didn't smile, just looked down at her. She winced when he came up close to his black eye, it looked so painful. It was red around the eye itself, which was partially closed. She resisted the urge to reach up and touch it gently.

"Sexy huh?" He asked sardonically and Rory looked away.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly.

"Why?"

"For…for what happened that night"

"Which part?"

She blushed furiously. Why did he have to make this so hard on her? She looked up at him, meeting his gaze and blushing all over again.

"The Matt part," She replied flatly ad he smirked.

"That's not your fault"

"Did you report him?" She asked, Tristan squinted at her.

"No,"

"Why not?"

"Rory he went nuts becase _you_ were in the room, if I reported him they'd know you were there and the entire school would ce down on us like a tonne of bricks"_  
_

"Oh...well, thank you"

He laughed.

"Hey Rory...what about the other parts?"

She blushed again, he was doing this on purpose.

"I don't know what you're talking about Tristan…I tend to block traumatic memories out of my mind"

He smirked again.

"Oh my God…" She whispered.

"What?"

"Your neck…" She said quietly, noticing for the first time the vivid bruises at the base of his throat.

He self-consciously tugged up his shirt.

"Somebody bit me" He said sarcastically.

Rory frowned…he was probably telling the truth though. She turned to leave but at the last minute called over her shoulder:

"Thanks for sticking up for Jay" She started to jog off but he caught her arm.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"At…at dinner with Summer…Paris told me what you did"

"I just told the truth Rory"

"Yeah…you did…thank you"

He let her go but didn't break his eye contact with her. Memories of Thursday night filled his mind.

She watched his eyes blacken.

"The other night, you said you were a bad person…for what you think you did to Summer."

He cocked his head, "…you're not a bad person Tristan…Summer is. You can't _make _a person have an abortion, it doesn't matter whether you drive the car or pay for it perform the operation, if she hadn't wanted to do it she wouldn't have. You're just blaming yourself because she made you think it was your fault didn't she? She regretted it later on and she blamed you and you believed her"

He shook his head and laughed.

"You can find a way to excuse anything can't you?" He asked in wonder.

She shook her head.

"No…there's some things I can't excuse. But you're not one of them, like it or not I do know you…or I'm beginning to anyway" She stared up at him defiantly, daring him with her eyes to disagree but instead he sighed with resignation.

"You're probably right Rory Gilmore-Hayden. But that doesn't mean we're friends"

She shrugged,

"See you tomorrow"

"Whatever" He replied sullenly.

She turned and jogged off.

* * *

She and Louise had been watching TV for an hour when Louise sighed.

"What are you doing?"

"Multi-tasking," Rory replied, "I'm studying for History, reading a book and watching TV"

Louise sighed again. "What?" Rory asked.

"I think I might go and check out the movie night at Debalar"

"Okay…do you want me to walk you?"

"No mom, it's okay"

Rory threw a cushion at her but Louise dodged.

"I'll be back later"

"I'm sure you will," Rory replied.

A few hours later she rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. She had been studying all nigh, she was all studied out and Tristan was clouding her thoughts anyway. She missed their closeness on the road. Had something really changed, or was it because they were back at school? He was so...distant and guarded. She didn't know why, she'd already seen him at his most vulnerable. Her cell phone went off with a text message, it was Louise.

_Hey bi-atch, come downstairs and let me in, I totally left my keys there and Mrs. Kennedy's locked the doors until movie nights over. I had to sneak out._

Rory laughed, typical Louise message, she always took the time to type in more information than was required where a simple _come let me in I don't have my keys _would have sufficed. She straightened the thin cotton top she'd been wearing all night and made her way downstairs, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, she didn't trust and it took ages anyway. DuGrey was silent. There were only a few people over the weekend for Theatre and with the exception of Paris they were all at the movie night. She made her way across the foyer and pulled open the door.

"You idiot…" She laughed until she looked up at who was standing there. "Matt! What are you doing here?" Her scream was muffled as his hand shot out lightning fast and clamped over her mouth.

**AN: _Mwa ha ha...don't you love_ _cliffhangers? Remember to R&R!_**


	26. Chapter 25

**AN:_Well, I'm back! I survived 4 days without an internet connection and 9 wineries! And I came back with so many bottles of fortified and red that I had to make a make-shift wine cellar out of my apartment's laundry and then hide it with a towel so my housemates don't get into it! He he. Anyway, as an anonymous reviewer said it is no longer Monday and I'm orry to have done this to you but the next chapter is finally and you can expect the enxt, as always, ASAP! Love ya's_**

**  
Disclaimer: I know it, you know, everyone knows that I don't own _GG_**

_Rory laughed, typical Louise message, she always took the time to type in more information than was required where a simple come let me in I don't have my keys would have sufficed. She straightened the thin cotton top she'd been wearing all night and made her way downstairs, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, she didn't trust and it took ages anyway. DuGrey was silent. There were only a few people over the weekend for Theatre and with the exception of Paris they were all at the movie night. She made her way across the foyer and pulled open the door._

"_You idiot…" She laughed until she looked up at who was standing there. "Matt! What are you doing here?" Her scream was muffled as his hand shot out lightning fast and clamped over her mouth. _

Matt's heart was beating rapidly as he stood outside DuGrey waiting for her to answer the door. It was happening again! He clutched his hands to his temples trying to block out the vision of Tristan and Rory's bodies pressed together. She was just like every other girl! Like Louise and Liz. Louse never used to be like that…a slut. When she was with Mike she was one of the nice girls. But then there was Mike's accident and within weeks Louise had fallen into bed with Tristan. Liz had been nice but then he'd seen her with that Del Sol guy. He cried out in anguish…what was wrong with them?

But then she opened the door, laughing a little and for a second he weakened, thought he couldn't do it.

Rory's eyes were wide with fear and her heart felt as though it had flown up into her throat in shock. He had pulled her to him so her back was flush against him and with his other hand he'd clamped her wrists. She struggled violently, first trying to free her wrists and, when that didn't work, thrashing her shoulders back to try and push him away but he blocked her, just bringing her closer to him.

Dread came over her when she remembered Liz…was this how she had felt. Oh God! Liz! Matt did it! Only a few seconds had passed since she opened the door when he shoved her up against it, her face turning sideways and he leaned in close to her face.

"You let me down Rory," He whispered, his voice low and menacing. "You let me down like all the others…like Liz. It's your own fault, you _were _a nice girl but you changed"

"What are you talking about?" Rory mumbled against his hand, her voice tight with terror.

He cried out in agony as though she had physically hurt him but his grip never weakened as he shoved her into the door again.

"You're a slut!" He hissed. "You remember hat, you remember that you're getting exactly what you deserve"

Tears leaked slowly down her cheek and Matt started to panic. He couldn't have that long until the movie night would be over. He'd managed to steal Louise's phone while the stupid cow was flirting with Finn and used it to message Rory…she didn't see to like him anymore ad he'd guessed she wouldn't come down if he'd called her from his. He'd even written it like Louise would have. And it had worked but now he only had a precious time frame.

He backed away from the door onto the verandah of the building and let her arms go just long enough to pull the door closed, keeping them pinned between their bodies still. Roughly he began to drag her down the steps. She tripped on the last as he yanked her forwards and she cried out silently, feeling her foot snap awkwardly beneath her. All she could hear was the blood pounding through her body.

He dragged her towards the darkened car park, pulling her back towards him he stared awkwardly into her wide, frightened blue eyes and smiled.

"I really could have liked you Lorelai Leigh"

How did he know her real name? She jerked uncontrollably in his strong arms, her body wracked with sobs. Awkwardly he shod her face down onto the hood of one the cars in the park, holding her down by her throat.

"It's the only way Lorelai Leigh," He whispered, "It's the only way to save people like me from people…like…you" He said, annunciating each word.

She sobbed again, feeling the cry strangling in her throat as she did. The metal of the car hood was freezing against her cheek but she barely felt that. The pain in her ankle had faded as well as he leaned in to gently kiss her cheek. In another time, another place it would have been sensual but now she wanted to throw up she remembered what had happened to Liz. Her eyes widened as he turned her to face him.

* * *

Louise stretched and pretended to yawn.

"Well I'd better be getting back," She said, the rest of the girls had left a little earlier, she had stayed from the end of the movie with Tristan and the other guys.

"Which one of you is gonna walk me back and keep me safe?" She asked with a suggestive smile she didn't really feel.

Tristan sighed and stood up, pulling on his jacket.

"Come on then," He said.

Louise jumped to her feet, tugging on her jacket.

"See ya guys" She waved brightly.

"Oh wait a minute," Tristan said, "Can you wait? I have to do something"

Louise sighed and tapped her foot jokingly as he hurried towards his room.

* * *

Matt leaned in towards her, trying to capture her lips with his but she bucked her head.

"Fine, I don't have to kiss you for this," He hissed cruelly, reaching with his left hand to grab to neckline of her top. He took a fist-full of the fabric and wrenched it away, tearing it diagonally from the neck to Rory's hip, revealing a flimsy tank top and smooth milky skin beneath. He seemed almost to sigh and Rory felt sick.

* * *

"Tristan what the fuck is taking you so long?" Louise asked, peering around the door.

Tristan was sitting at his desk, tapping at his laptop.

"I just wanted to check something," He shrugged. "You're not in a hurry are you?"

Louise shrugged and took a seat on his bed.

* * *

Somewhere in the back of her mind Rory could hear voices. _Oh Thank God, _she thought silently. But Matt had heard them too, anticipated them. They were far back in the car park, well in the shadows, but still he pulled her to him again and half carried, half-dragged her towards the woods. He threw her down on the rough, uneven ground, h top flying out about her from the tears. Quickly he lowered himself so he was straddling her body.

"You look just like her out here," He whispered as he trailed his hand to her hip, grabbing her tightly, using the other hand to wrap around her throat. Rory knew who he was talking about.

* * *

Suddenly something occurred to Louise.

"Tristan where's Matt? He left ages ago, said he was going to bed"

Tristan shrugged.

"Maybe taking a shower"

_Oh God...Rory! _Louise thought, she began looking through her purse for her mobile but it wasn't there Her heart was thudding in her chest.

"Tristan we need to go _now_! We need to get to Rory!"

* * *

She looked up at him and their eyes locked even through her silent tears. She felt his hand at the waistband of her jeans as his fingers closed around her throat. _Oh God…not like this. _At first her throat felt as though the blood was rushing to her face, it hurt so bad when his fingers pressed against the muscles in her throat. But then, then that started to fade, it felt almost like she was floating before things started to go dark. The last thing she saw was those eyes.

**AN: _He he he, no absolution just yet. Anyway next chappie ASAP. Remember to R&R - when you guys d that I know God loves me an wants me to be happy._**


	27. Chapter 26

**AN:_ Before anybody points it out, I know thse chapters have been ridiculously short and I apologise for that, but I couldn't have un them together as you'll see. Please don't hate me for this chapter! Just wait and see...  
_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG, _or the lyrics I've used here! **

_Hey, does it ever make you wonder_

_what's on my mind?_

Tristan lay in his bed at home, it was still dark outside, the sunlight waiting to break through in another hour or so. He couldn't sleep, he felt as though he'd never sleep again. On the back of his door was the suit he'd wear later that day.

_Hey, I was only ever running back to your side_

_I never cried, I just watched my life go by_

_It's just a pack of lies,_

_'cause you're leaving me behind_

What had she thought? What had she thought as Matt had dragged her from DuGrey building. He knew the details, what he hadn't been told by the police was fodder for the gossips.

_Why, after this long is there nothing_

_I'll keep, oh, I can shout_

_you'll pretend you're falling asleep_

The chapel was beautiful, simple, in a secluded part of Hartford. It was small, made of bluestone. For the past 11 days it had rained, without break, relentless. Yet as he made his way with Louise into the chapel, the sun shone down fiercely, making him squint from the brightness. Rory's mother stood in the entry way with the pastor, when he passed she looked up and the grief in her eyes made his eyes sting. He looked back down at the ground as Louie led him to their pew.

_I live a lie, yeah, believing that you're mine_

_It's just a waste of time_

_'cause you're leaving me behind_

It was Jay whose shaking voice led the eulogy.

"Remember me when I am gone away," He began, his voice cracking, he trained his eyes on Louise who recited the words along with him.

"Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day.

You tell me of our future that you plann'd:" Tears threatened to spill as he paused for a deep breath. His sister, his big sister, she'd never graduate, never be valedictorian, never fall in love and walk down the aisle on Chris' arm…

"Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:"

How could any of them forget her? Tristan thought bitterly.

"For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad." Jay folded the piece of paper the poem was written on and stared out at the crowd. His mother looked up at him, her big eyes shining with tears and he smiled at her softly.

Tristan felt the tears in his eyes that were trained on the portrait of Rory that sat on the coffin. It was a candid shot, one taken of her a few months before at the beach it looked like. She was looking over one bare, sunburned shoulder and laughing as a breeze whipped through her loose hair.

_Hey, there's not a cloud in the sky_

_It's as blue as your goodbye_

_and I thought that it would rain_

_on a day like today_

He remembered the last thing he'd said to her: _"…that doesn't mean we're friends". _He hung his head slightly, rubbing his eyes as Louise touched his shoulder. Did Louise blame him? For taking his time that nigh? It had been too late by the time they'd gotten there, b the time they arrived to see Matt still kneeling over her cold, pale body. His shoulders heaved with a bursting sob and Louise slipped her arm around him.

_Hey, there's not a cloud in sight_

_it's as blue as your blue goodbye_

_and I thought that it would rain_

_the day you went away_

It was time, it was time to finish this. He made his way to the coffin to meet Jay, Christopher, Finn, Rory's cousin Jess and her ex-boyfriend from the mid-west Dean. He took his somber place at the side of the coffin and slipped his hand around the cold, metal handle, his hand heavy as they began to wheel the coffin out to Wendy Matthews' "The day you went away".

The cemetery was small, old-fashioned, like the cemetery's in the classics. Tristan knew why Lorelai and Chris had picked it. When h looked around he half-expected to see Rory, perched on a heavy gothic head-stone reading a novel, or watching them, her head cocked in confusion.

_Hey, does it ever make you wonder what's on my mind_

_Ooh yeah, I was only ever running back to your side_

The other mourners had long since dispersed but he couldn't bring himself to leave. That was too final. You could escape from this, from all of this, until that coffin was in the ground, until the rose petals had been scattered onto it and the crowd leaving, not wanting to see the dirt that went next. He stood at the foot of the grave, there was no h-stone yet, that would come later. But it didn't seem right.

_Hey, there's not a cloud in the sky_

_it's as blue as your goodbye_

_and I thought that it would rain_

_on a day like today_

Slowly he knelt down, dipping his finger into the top soil. He stood back

_**Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden**_

_**1984 – 2001**_

He hung his he; he didn't even know her birth date. He looked up at the sky, not a cloud in sight. It was the brilliant blue of the eyes she shared with her mother. He closed his, how could it happen? How could Matt have taken away another he cared for? What had he done that was so wrong that this was what he deserved?

_Hey, there's not a cloud in sight_

_it's as blue as your blue goodbye_

_and I thought that it would rain_

_the day you went away_

**AN: _Okay, so the song was "The day you went away" by Wendy Matthews and the poem was "Remember" by Christina Rossetti. Please R&R and let me know what you think. _**


	28. Chapter 27

**AN: _Wow! What a response! That was amazing. I didn't realise I would get that number of views and PMs for Ch. 26. OK, firstly, I'm sorry if I led anyone to believe otherwise but the story isn't finished yet so keep reading or I wll hunt you down! He he he. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed to say they liked the writing if not the content, LOL. And can you all please let me know, I've heard from one reviewer that alot of people think this story has gone downhill, just wondering how many people agree and what I can do - apart from bring Rory miraculously back to life, I know you all want that ; p - to change that! Cheers!  
_**

**_Joise: _**_Yes, both Tristan and Louise blame themselves in the last chapter._**  
**

_**Love 23: **I love you!_

**Disclaimer: I don't own _GG _and quite frankly, I doubt you do either ; p  
**

Louise had walked up behind him softly, he didn't notice her until he spoke.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered.

He half turned, but didn't say anything. She laid her hand on his shoulder.

"I am _so _sorry Tristan…I know…I think I know how you felt about her,"

Tristan nodded gently, although he didn't know understand how Louise could how he felt about Rory when he didn't. All he knew at the moment was the hollowness in everything. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's not your fault," Louise went on quietly.

He wheeled on her, fury blazing in his eyes.

"How is it _not _my fault Louise? Huh?"

Louise took a step back.

"I…we didn't know…"

"I shouldn't have worried about checking my email that night…I should have known when he wasn't in the room."  
"I knew…" Louise whispered, not knowing why she was saying this,

"What?"

"I knew…Jay told me he knew it was Matt…it was _my _fault…I left her alone"

Suddenly Tristan's anger deflated and he pulled Louise into a hug, holding her close as she cried against his chest.

* * *

Tristan and Louise were needed at the police station again that afternoon for still more questioning.

"Why did you go looking for Miss Gilmore?"

Tristan took a deep breath,

"Louise…she was with me, she realised her mobile was gone and so was Matt. She was already suspicious of him and when she found out that…" He trailed off.

The detective nodded

"And so you went to Miss Gilmore's dormitory and couldn't find her…why did you go to the woods instead of alerting the supervising teacher?"

Tristan shrugged back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. His tie had been loosened and his suit jacket slung across another chair.

"I don't know…I can't explain it. I suppose…after Liz, we both just started running"

"And you found Mr. Mulchrone kneeling over…Miss Gilmore?"

Tristan felt strangled as he nodded silently.

"Uh…yes…yes…"

"And what happened then?"

"I beat the shit out of him is what happened…he kept saying this shit, I don't remember it that well but it was something about her deserving…deserving it because she was just like every other girl…"

"And Miss Gilmore?"

Tears started to spill slowly down his cheeks and he swiped at them furiously.

"She…Louise was with her but…we were too late she was already…" He trailed off for a moment, "dead…she was already dead."

The detective looked up at him sharply, hearing the inflections in his voice.

"Thank you Mr. DuGrey, that should be all for now,"

Tristan nodded but turned as he was leaving.

"Detective Corry?"

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen to him?"

"Well…Mr. Mulchrone just turned 18 which means he can be tried as an adult…" The detective replied.

"So?"

"So we're putting the little bastard away for the rest of his natural life,"

Tristan smiled ruefully and closed the door behind him. Something told him nothing about Matt was natural.

* * *

Jay, Tristan and Louise sat in a row in the courtroom. It was Matt's bail hearing. As he was led into the room Tristan felt his face growing hot and clenched his fists. Lorelai hung her head in front of them. He was led to the dock and sat down, he looked pleasantly out at the people in the near-empty courtroom. When his eyes settled in Tristan he smiled benignly and Jay leaned forward in his seat, Louise laying her hand soothingly on his thigh. He was charged with two counts of Murder One, as they read the charges Matt nodded in time. He had plead guilty, it was the only plead he could make when Tristan and Louise had found him like that. The designer Psychiatrist his parent's had hired had identified some disorder, some purity disorder where Matt was convinced that these girls were "dirty" and that they threatened his own cleanliness.

His lawyer argued that Matt belonged at home, in a loving environment, not in jail in the lead-up to his trial. He argued that Matt needed psychological help and supervision. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when Matt was denied bail. Tristan, Jay and Louise stood outside the courthouse. They were to drive back to school but none of them wanted to be back there, not with all the rumours, the stares in their direction. Tristan had driven and as they climbed into the car they all knew where they were headed. Jay and Louise stayed by the car as Tristan made his way to her grave. The flowers that had been heaped upon it had quietly died, and he began to scoop them off. Her flowers should never be bruised and lifeless…she shouldn't have been. Jay and Louise eventually joined him by the grave, standing side-by-side near him.

"He's in jail…" Louise whispered to the earth.

Jay glanced over at her but Tristan knew what she was trying to do.

"The detective's promised us he'll get life"

_He already did…_Tristan thought bitterly…_two of them. _Louise's voice was started to shake and Jay gently squeezed her hand. She smiled at him uncertainly, it was the first touch she'' received from him since the night she and Rory had snuck out. Her voice became stronger.

"We're gonna get him Rory…me and Tristan and Jay, we're all testifying…" She trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Tristan added.

Jay looked at him sharply but Tristan's attention was focused on her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again to her grave, "I should have been there, I _could _have been there…"

Louise held back a sniffle and Jay laid his hand on Tristan's shoulder.

"Come on…let's go back" He suggested.

Tristan nodded and stood from his crouched position.

_I miss you _

The unsaid words echoed around the still cemetery as the three made their way back to the car.

* * *

Tristan stood outside the hall, his face set like stone. It was the final week of full-dress rehearsals for "The Crucible" but he couldn't shake off his dream that morning, he'd had it again, the dream about the day in the cemetery.

_I miss you_

Why hadn't he ever been able to tell her, to just tell her how he was beginning to feel. Was it because he didn't have to understand it? Perhaps she could have understood it. Perhaps, once he'd poured out everything hat danced around his mind at night when it drifted to her, she could have turned around with an cheeky smile and said,

"Duh Tristan…you're falling in love with me!"

And he could have smiled in dawning recognition, taken her in his arms…they could have tumbled into bed and not left for hours. Of course, now that wasn't going to happen, he couldn't tell her, couldn't touch her, he could only regret what he'd let pass him.

**AN: _R&R to let me know wat you think!_**


	29. Prologue

**AN: _Well I'm pleased to finally introduce the final chapter of "For You I open My Eyes". Whew! It's been a long time coming but I've really enjoyed writing this and I'm amazed at he responses and support I've received. Special thanks have to go to:_**

**_Love23, Karah06, Kat86, Mongoose, smartmonkey101, nk-number1actress, i die without you and flyleaf2114_**

**_as well as any of th regulars I've forgotten to mention, you guys have been awesome and the reason that I kept updating and finally finished this - God I feel like I'm making an acceptance speech at the Oscars "This is for you Mum!". Anyway, I hope you all like the final chapter ; p  
_**

**Disclaimer: I haven't owned _GG_ since I started writin this...and nothing's changed ; p  
**

* * *

Tristan walked slowly across the Yale campus, the sun hitting his tousled blonde hair so to passers-by it looked as though he had a halo. 

"Tris!" He turned when he heard his voice called, a smile spreading across his face when he saw who had cried out.

"Liz, how are you?"

She smiled up at him, he swore she hadn't grown since eighth grade, but she was still as cute with her big blue eyes that had fadcinated him once, enhralled him...until those others, those ones he saw at night when he closed his eyes.

"I'm good…I was hoping I'd see you around campus"

Tristan shrugged.

"You're mom said you're studying…what was it? Professional Communications?"

Liz nodded enthusiastically as she linked her arm through his. He looked down at her again, once, granted it was a long time ago, she had fit so well beside him…when had that all gone wrong? In final year some time…early in the year.

"Are you still with Justin?" Tristan asked and Liz giggled.

"Of course silly…he's very much in love. He's moving here next semester…he wants to go back and finish high school, get into a college, impress my parents enough, you know"

Tristan smiled, Liz and Justin had gotten together not long after they had broken up, they'd gone out for a while before she and Tristan had gotten together, and eventually resumed it when they broke up.

"Listen," She began, "We're having a small party tonight, at the dorm…you should come, just dinner and drinks" She looked up at him beseechingly and he shrugged.

"Sure, sounds good"

She grinned and looked around, waving at a guy in the distance.

"Well, Justin's waiting, he's come for the weekend…I'll see you tonight?"

"Sure,"

* * *

He slowly sauntered back to his own dormitory. It had been good to see Liz, things had been…awkward when they first broke up, mostly because he couldn't explain why. It was as though, overnight in final year, he'd fallen out of love with her, as though someone else had pushed their way into his heart and had no intentions of leaving. Some of the liht that had surrounded her in his eyes had just faded. He let himself into the room he was sharing with a guy from California, new money, his father was some bigwig movie producer. 

"Hey Matt," Tristan greeted him as he entered.

The brunette turned, his green eyes sparkling in the bright room.

"Hey man…you coming to that kegger tonight?"

Tristan shook his head.

"Nah I just ran into my ex, she's having a party"

"And you're actually going?"

Tristan laughed.

"Yeah of course, we're cool now. It was just a high school romance"

"Okay but if you get bored…"

"Yeah, yeah, there's a kegger"

He flopped back onto his bed.

He was in his first semester of International Law. After he'd broken up with Liz in final year he'd knuckled down, actually started working at high school, and even given Paris a run for her money. It was as though something he couldn't see, couldn't hear was driving him.

* * *

That night he dressed in a pair of dark jeans ad a white shirt, tousling his hair and remembering to grab his wallet and cell phone. Liz lived across campus but it was still only a half-hour walk. Liz lived in a sorority. He wasn't surprised, she was the sorority kind of girl. She'd come out of her shell over the past year, wasn't as quiet as she had been, wasn't as meek. He liked it in her, the newfound fiery side. 

A giggling blond answered the door and let him in, showing him through to a parlour where about thirty people stood. Liz saw him and made her way over with Summer.

"Look who came," Liz said, gesturing to Summer.

Summer smiled at Tristan.

"How you doing DuGrey?"

"Pretty well Summer…what are you doing these days?"

She held up herring finger.

"Engaged…after I won Miss. Connecticut I met Jason…he's around here somewhere"

Tristan chuckled on the inside, that sounded like the Summer he knew. She reached up and hugged him.

"You know you'll always be the first guy I loved though?" She purred in his ear.

"Keep telling yourself that Summer," He whispered with a laugh.

She smiled and headed back to her fiancée. Liz grinned.

"How awesome is that? I'm going to be her Maid of Honour!"

"Congratulations"

Justin appeared at her side.

"DuGrey"

"Bellevue…how you doing? You looking after my girl?"

Justin smirked.

"_You're _girl?"

"Okay, okay…are you looking after my _former _girl?" Tristan pressed on,

Liz laughed and swatted his arm.

"Of course he is," She said happily and she nuzzled Justin's neck. "Oh Tristan…Louise is coming as well"

"Louise Grant? What's she doing at Yale?"

Liz shrugged.

"She's got some boyfriend or something who studies here"

Tristan was standing by the door to the parlor with a beer when he heard his name being called. He turned for the second time that day.

"Hey man, what're you doing here?"

Tristan grinned at his classmate.

"Hey Jay, I know the hostess…what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be studying for that exam? You don't have my natural abilities"

Jay pretended to glare at him. The two had met in class and had become firm friends, they even stayed in the same college.

"I'm here with my new girlfriend…she's around here somewhere…"

Tristan's eyes widened as Louise Grant appeared next to Jay. She smiled brightly at him.

"Oh hey beautiful," Jay began, "…this is my buddy Tristan…"

"…DuGrey" Louise finished, laughing at Jay's confusion.

"We went to high school together," Tristan explained as he pulled Louise into a hug, "So Jay Gilmore's your new beau?" Tristan asked unnecessarily.

"Going on two weeks now," Louie said proudly, "Our mom's introduced us,"

"Whoa! Two weeks? That must be some kind of record…for both of you"

Louise frowned but Jay just laughed.

"Oh, dude, you've gotta meet someone," Jay said, disappearing.

"Tristan, this I m _older _sister, Rory" Jay said when he returned.

"Older by like a minute," The girl said.

Tristan looked up into the most amazing blue eyes he'd ever seen and for a moment, his heart stopped beating. But now, they weren't the most brilliant…in his mind's eye he could that other pair…identical but shining for him, only for him. Where is that memory from?

_He stared into her eyes…her light, brilliant, blue eyes that seemed to big for her pretty face, waiting for her answer. She reached for his hand and placed it over her heart._

"_Do you feel that?" She whispered, her huge eyes focused on him._

_He nodded, his eyes down now, unable to meet hers. She didn't say anything else. His mouth was set in a grim line but his eyes softened a little as she let go of his hand and turn the ignition key._

The dreams…they were like dreams these memories. Were they memories? Had it been a dream? From long ago? Is that why sometimes he woke up in a cold sweat thinking Liz was dead, lying somewhere in the woods, bruised and broken? Is that why sometimes he woke up wracked with undeserved guilt and an awful, gut-wrenching loneliness? Why sometimes he daydreamed of a quiet cemetery he'd never been to? How was he remembering this now…when it slipped away like tendrils of smoke as he awoke.

Suddenly he realised that he had been staring at this girl for an age. She laughed nervously and held out her hand to shake.

"Lorelai…" Tristan breathed, still partly in his daze.

The beautiful brunette with the choppy, shoulder-length hair gasped.

"What did you say?"  
"Lorelai…" Tristan repeated softly.

Louise and Jay raised their eyebrows.

"Do I know you?" Rory asked, confused by how in hell this gorgeous guy knew her name.

Louise had assured her she'd like him.

_"He used to be a real ass, but he turned himself around in final year, started working hard, got into a good college. He's one of those book-worm, study, study, study people…you'll love him!" Louise said, after convincing Jay to introduce the two some day._

Tristan stared into her eyes and suddenly shook his head.

"Uh…no…" He grasped her hand, hoping his wasn't sweating. "…it's just…I guessed Rory would be short for Lorelai…"

She smiled brightly.

"You're right…it's just nobody ever calls me that. Tristan? Right?"

He grinned and nodded as Jay and Louise slowly faded away and it was just the two of them.

"I told you they'd get along," Louise whispered and Jay rolled his eyes.

Tristan couldn't get the stupid grin off his face…being with this girl…with Rory was like being with someone he'd known, someone he'd known well…someone he'd missed while she'd been gone. The feeling, the dream-like memories kept flooding.

They stood together, outside on the verandah, Rory was leaving, she had an early class in the morning. He half-turned to her in the moonlight, only to catch her watching him. She blushed,

"It's strange…" She began, "…this feeling I have…that I know you from somewhere. You know we could have known each other? Jay said you went to Chilton, with Lou…we were going to go to Chilton…" She was babbling, nervous at being caught out watching him. He smiled, he still felt dazed.

_I miss you_

_Why hadn't he ever been able to tell her, to just tell her how he was beginning to feel. Was it because he didn't have to understand it? Perhaps she could have understood it. _

"I miss you," He whispered, almost low enough not to be heard.

"What?"

He shook his head, but suddenly something came over him, he became bolder. That was the thing about him, Tristan had never been shy with girls…until it came to feelings. But somehow he thought that this girl…that he could talk to her.

"I…I feel that too. When I saw you…my heart started racing and it was like I was seeing you after a really long time," He blushed as she cocked her head, staring into her eyes.

"I have to go," She whispered, she half-turned to go yet turning stayed, smiling cheekily at him.

"You know what that means don't you?" She asked, he shook his head dumbly.

"Duh Tristan…you're falling in love with me!" She said with a giggle as she leaned into him slowly, kissing his cheek and slipping him a piece of paper.

She flipped her hair behind her ears and smiled brightly before she walked away. He watched her retreating back as he opened the piece of paper.

_Lorelai Leigh Gilmore – call me _

She'd scrawled her cell number. He crumpled the piece of paper and smiled in the beautiful silence, feeling, for the first time in a year tha his eyes were finally open.

**AN: _So there it is guys...R&R to let me know what you think...and if you want a sequel! For anybody who is still a little confused - the entire story was a dream. Rory never went to Chilton, nor did Matt. Liz was never murdered. This was wat was going to happen all along and you re all so worried he he he. It's a little disappointing though that some peopl didn't have faith and actually emailed me to tell me they ren't going to read the story. But thank you to everyone who persisted with it!  
_**


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